The Tangled Webs We Weave
by Severus' Malfoy Maiden
Summary: spies like us. double agents and romance. Can love blossom in the darkest of times? Will she be able to choose?
1. flashbacks

The Tangled Webs We Weave

Silence echoes in the room stacked ceiling high with books; shelves upon shelves of books reside in the Noble House of Black library.

The only sounds are those of the crackling fire and tumblers being refilled with firewhiskey.

Neither man speaks.

They continue to pay close attention to the vast array of hues the amber liquid reflects in the firelight as it swirls inside their glasses before consumption.

He sighs and looks up from his glass. _The enemy of my enemy_…. He thinks.

Of course that means nothing; this mutual animosity was present before any true enemy bled into their world… they were just kids in their second year.

****Flashback ****

Sirius Black POV

"Severus Snape meet Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew." Lily said excitedly.

She had run to get him on the train and bring him back to their cabin. The other boys wanted to meet the childhood friend of Lily Evans – it's all she ever spoke about after returning from holidays.

I was just sick to death of hearing about how smart Severus was and how nice Severus was and how talented Severus was… blah blah blah…Severus was a Slytherin and nothing good ever came from Slytherin.

I should know – my entire family was sorted into Slytherin House.

After an awkward few moments, Severus cleared his throat, "Hello, It's nice to meet you finally."

James and I just eyeballed Severus until Remus made his way into the cabin a bit out of breath.

He took one look at Lily and another in our direction, pasted a smile on his face and turned to meet Severus. We could always count on Remus to smooth out the wrinkles.

"You must be Severus?" the tall dark boy nodded "I'm Remus, a pleasure to meet you." Remus said sticking his hand out for a shake.

"Won't you sit?" Remus asked Severus.

_WHAT!?! NO NO – he won't be staying_… I thought, I had to come up with some excuse, so before Snivellus – (hey that's funny!) could answer, "There's no room here. James and I were just about to start reading up on transfigurations and the books are pretty large." I lied, but Snivellus didn't know that… _did he?_

Severus nodded curtly and started to back out of the cabin, "Lily" he said before exiting and he was gone.

Remus looked at his friends, "Study? Really?"

I chuckled and chanced a look at James, he was mid-smirk. _Man I am good!_

It was at this time that we noticed Lily had not said one word, she was positively fuming.

"What? He doesn't belong here, Lily." James said hoping to smooth things over.

"Yeah, don't be mad" I said.

She visibly relaxed much to my relief - _I didn't want to get hexed over the likes of a dark git._

Remus Lupin POV

When I introduced myself to Severus, I thought I saw a small flicker of relief cross his features, but it was gone in a flash, so I couldn't be sure.

I couldn't believe Sirius spoke up before Severus could sit. I swear Sirius is such a prat sometimes.

I had my doubts about Lily's sudden calm demeanor and rightly so, because she coolly stood up, grabbed her bag, pulled out her wand and hexed the two idiots; shooting a yellow light towards their groin resulting in very girly-like screams from the two pureblooded Gryffindors.

She snorted, "You think that hurt, wait until you start to get an erection… it'll bring tears to your eyes." With that she walked out.

It took every ounce of will power I had to not erupt in a fit of very unman-like giggles. Peter just looked confused. _I really need to talk to him_.

Lily Evans POV

"Severus! Come on they want to meet you!" I practically yelled. He didn't want to come with me, complaining how this was all some joke and that they would never accept him, but I stood up for them telling Severus to give them a chance and not be so close minded.

I literally had to tug him along by the sleeve of his robes.

I was so excited – now I wouldn't have to split my time and no one got their feelings hurt.

I stood there in shock as Sirius and James did **not** welcome Severus with smiles. They only wanted to meet him so they could cast doubt over my judgment.

After all I have done in defense of their stupid pranks and behavior and they can't even be nice to someone who matters to me.

I was so embarrassed; I didn't know what to say. Then Remus walked in and introduced himself.

I could have kissed him right there! …but then Sirius ruined it.

'He doesn't belong' and 'don't be mad' she mimicked in her head. RIGHT!

"MAL ERECTUS!" I said and hexed their bits! They won't even be _thinking_ about sex without their pricks starting to burn.

I left in search of an empty cabin, I wasn't really in the mood to stroke Severus' ego right now either.

Severus Snape POV

I had to stifle laughter at this scene – I cast a disillusionment charm on myself and was right outside the door of their cabin. I was going to follow her, but thought better of it, instead I sat with Lucius, Narcissa, Greg Goyle and Theo Nott they always welcomed me with open arms.

****End Flashback ****

"Do you still think about her?" Sirius asked quietly.

Severus looked up from his glass not needing further explanation of who Sirius was speaking, "Yes, but not in the way you think."

"In what way then?"

"She was my friend, Black, nothing more. I could laugh with her; she knew my home life and my insecurities as a child. She also learned from me and didn't judge, just listened to what I had to offer. I never wanted more from her. I was disappointed at her choice in men, but not because I was jealous. She knew me – ME and didn't care. I would have moved heaven and earth for her."

Sirius pondered that statement for a bit and wasn't sure if it was the firewhiskey talking or the mood…or both, but he confessed, "I loved her."

Severus looked up in mild surprise.

"I never told a soul. I was jealous of the time she spent with you."

"But not of the time she spent with Potter?" Severus asked brows furrowed.

Sirius shook his head, "No, we were always together. They didn't get a whole lot of 'alone time' with Peter, Moony and me around, you know?"

Severus sighed wanting to change the subject.

Sirius spoke first, "She should be here by now."

"Yes. Those two dunderheads wouldn't leave her, would they?" Severus asked

"No, of course not." Trying to be sarcastic, but as soon as it came out, he realized that he could count at least four times the two dunderheads in question had done just that – leave her without any help.

Severus knew that Sirius lost steam with his retort.

"This was a mistake." Severus said as stood. "Someone else should have gone."

"Like who? Hermione is the only one who can solve the riddle and break the curse protecting it without alerting … everyone."

Severus gave him an offended look, "I meant someone else besides tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber."

"Severus you can't be seen and there was no one else."

Severus sighed and sat back thinking about the talented witch in question. Hermione had been the star of hundreds of fantasies in his imagination for months. She was living in Grimmauld Place while attending Phoenix University for Wizarding Europe specializing in curses and charms. She was minoring in Potions and was a part- time apprentice for Severus himself.

He paused from thinking about her accomplishments and shifted his thinking to her attributes. She was smart – landing NEWTs scores comparable to him, some better than his; her hair was not bushy or frizzy, but fell down her back in large shiny barrel curls. It was dark brown with a reddish tint seen only in the sun. Her eyes were hazel reflecting more brown than green.

Her smile lit up a room.

She was tall for a witch, standing around 5'8" – she came to just beneath his shoulder – he knew this because he would stand behind her sometimes as she was focusing on potions. She smelled like cherries and almonds or sometimes vanilla.

She was slender and very feminine.

He had longed on many occasion to run his hands down the curve of her neck to the slope of her shoulders, over her ample breasts – he wondered idly if she had pink or brown nipples- across her flat stomach, down her rounded hips….

He was jarred out of his thoughts when they heard the door slam open.

The wind whipped around the foyer and two men walked through.

"WELL?" Harry yelled at Sirius.

"What do you mean 'well'? Well what?" Sirius asked

Severus connected the dots, "YOU LEFT HER THERE??!!" he bellowed.

Sirius shot Severus a look that pled for him not to kill the two boys now, but to wait until they heard the whole story and ushered Harry and Ron inside.

They all sat down, except Severus, "Tell us what happened." Sirius said _sounding_ calm. He might kill these two himself; Hermione was loved by most of the members of the Order, but her team (LM/DM/SS) weren't the only ones to hold her close to their hearts; Sirius and Remus adored the bright-eyed witch.

The animagus and werewolf would be heartbroken if something happened to her, not to mention Tonks would kill anything and everything that directly or indirectly caused her friends' pain.

_Tweedle Dumb was speaking_… Sirius focused on the boy.

"We got there, she started working, and we heard something at the other end of the hall so we went to investigate. We told her we'd be right back" he whined and continued, "she said something, but I didn't catch it – did you, Ron?" Harry asked

Ron shook his head no.

"So we walked down the hall, looked down both ways and turned around. When we got back, she was gone." Harry said

Ron added, "We waited, thinking that she had gone to use the loo, but after an hour we figured we should get back here. We were really annoyed that she left us, but …"

Both Severus and Sirius were having trouble keeping their cool.

Severus hissed in pain and looked down at his mark – it was pulsing.

"I must go, but this is not finished." He seethed at the two

Sirius nodded and said, "I'll call an order meeting, we'll find her."

***

Severus apperated to Surrey Crossing, where he knew the dark lord was residing currently.

"Severusssssss, pleassssseee come and ssssssit." The dark lord said invitingly.

"Thank you my lord" Severus looked around and saw Lucius and Draco Malfoy both looking quite uncomfortable.

He also noted Marcus Flint, Crabbe and Goyle seniors and juniors, Bellatrix, her husband and her brother- in-law and McNair rounding out the bunch.

"I have a ssssssurprisssssse for you tonight, Ssssseverusssssss." The dark lord said watching Severus closely with those creepy red snake eyes.

"My Lord?" Severus asked immediately weary – he didn't like surprises and he certainly didn't like surprises from crazy snake people.

"I have noticcccced of late how you don't sssseeeeem to enjoy muggle-born witches like you usssssed to. I reminded myssssself of your extraordinary intellectual and creative powers and took it upon myssssself to find you a witch worthy of your time." The dark lord waited for the light to go on in Severus' head.

When he saw a small tick on Severus' face he continued –one could never be sure of Severus' emotions, the wizard had a poker face like none other, and even Lucius wasn't as stone-faced as this man was.

"Sssssseee for yourssssssself, Ssssseverusssssss. She is quite a catch and very valuable to us; I imagine she will be badly missed. Taking her out of commission will bring us closer to victory. Two birds with one sssssssstone, you sssssseeeee."

The dark lord snapped his fingers and Severus, Lucius and Draco watched in horror as a cage materialized and inside, shackled to the back wall was a battered and bruised, but not broken, Hermione Granger.

She was unconscious and sagging with only her fettered arms above keeping her from crumbling to the ground.

The dark lord spoke again, "she issss, well… was full of energy. It wasssss not eassssssy to sssssubdo her. It took Bellatrix an hour before Misssssss Granger quieted down and that was after Mr. Greyback and the LeStrange brothers were done with her. Let'sssss sssseee what she hasssss to ssssay now, shall we?"

"enervate."

Hermione inhaled and opened her eyes. She immediately started screaming, "I'M GOING TO WATCH YOU DIE SCREAMING! DO YOU HEAR ME VOLDEMORT! YOU WILL DIE SCREAMING AND I'M GOING TO WATCH!"

Everyone in the room took a step backward at the unpleasant onslaught of high-pitched torture the young witch subjected them to.

"YOU ARE LUCKY I DON'T HAVE A WAND OR YOU WOULD BE SINGING WITH THE CASTRATI CHOIRS IN ITALY!!! YOU SLIMY PIECE OF SHITE!

CAN'T YOU FACE ME LIKE A MAN!!!??? YOU MUST CAGE ME, AND SICK YOUR ONE-CELLED PUPPET BELLATRIX ON ME???!!

Raised eyebrows and general silence prevailed in the face of Miss Hermione Grangers promises to the dark lord and a particular death eater.

BELLATRIX YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A PUPPET! YOU HEAR ME??? A PUPPET! THE LAST THING YOU'LL SEE ON THIS PLANE IS MY FACE SMILING DOWN AT YOU BEFORE YOU FADE TO BLACK YOU BINT!!!!

LET ME GO!!!! {SCREAMING}

"Right. Silencio" Severus cast a silencing charm over the screaming witch in the cage and faced his master.

"How offended would you be if I declined your offer and we just put her back from where she hailed?" Severus knew this was risky, but anything short of outright refusal of the 'gift' would cause suspicion.

Lucius and Draco tensed – they were spies also. They knew each and every day a thin line was walked by every death eater who came into contact with the dark lord.

He was not in his right mind. His soul was split eight times and it left him… vacant at times, mad as a hatter most others.

Today was a good day the dark lord chuckled at Severus' question.

"You will take her, Sssssseverussssss. Think of it asssss a hobby – Taming of the Shrew. My favorite play." The dark lord smiled and walked towards the cage that housed the now silent and still screaming young witch.

Most of the death eaters in the room had no idea who Shakespeare was, and those who did only raised a brow in question at the dark lords' admittance of liking a muggle playwrite.

Severus looked at Draco and silently bid him to notify the Order.

Draco nodded and turned to leave. As the rest of the deatheaters left, Lucius walked to Severus and Hermione, who was, in turn, looking at them with an unreadable expression on her face.

They both looked at her with sympathy.

She had come to care for these two greatly, Draco also. These men were so much more reliable than Ron and Harry.

She always seemed to be paired with one or two of them for missions.

Lucius had a great sense of humor – who knew?

Draco was a wonderful conversationalist and listener.

And Severus…. Her Severus, he was a gentle lamb, thoughtful and caring.

Each man was smart and competent and she was lucky to be accepted by them.

She had a good relationship with Sirius and Remus too, but they seemed to have more successful missions when Tonks accompanied them.

Hermione guessed it had to do with chemistry. This one point always made her uneasy – she was a Gryffindor…. The PRINCESS of Gryffindor, to be exact…and the people she loved most were Slytherin? _Something just wasn't right_. She pondered

Harry and Ron didn't seem to have successful missions anymore – Harry drank…. A lot and if Ron wasn't at home drinking with Harry he was at some sleazy bar ogling the bare-breasted wait staff.

Ginny left Harry last year and went to play for the Hollyhead Harpies as a seeker. She just wanted to get away from the tension, blood and murder. Who could blame her?

Hermione rolled her eyes; she couldn't believe she was bolted to a cage like this. It should never have happened.

****Flashback****

They walked in, confunded the reception guard and made their way to the safe.

She opened the safe and there it was.

Hermione took her wand and ran a diagnostic for dark magic so she could break the spells and solve the riddle.

In the middle of everything, the trio heard a muffled noise down the hallway. She turned to watch her 'protectors' start walking towards the noise. She couldn't believe how stupid they could be, t_hey could be ambushed_… she shook her head _it was a miracle they were all still alive after all this time._

She whispered, quite loudly, to stop. It wasn't smart to investigate; _if they would just give her another minute_. She thought with exasperation.

But they didn't listen and kept walking. As soon as they were out of sight, Fenrir Greyback popped in- literally- grabbed her and popped back out with her in tow.

She was not released immediately, Fenrir was allowed to 'cop a feel' for what seemed like hours.

She struggled and screamed and fought back as best she could, but she was no match for Fenrir. After he got bored from fighting with her Bellatrix was called in to 'quiet her down'.

The next two hours were spent getting physically beaten by Robustus and Rodolpho Le'Strange and crucio'd by Bellatrix.

Fenrir wanted a turn, but the dark lord said her 'intended' wouldn't appreciate it. They shackled her wrists in iron cuffs and bolted them over her head, then locked the cage.

She must have fallen asleep or passed out, because when she woke up, deatheaters surrounded her and she was still chained.

She did the only thing she could do, because she wasn't going to cry, so she screamed, yelled and threatened.

It was Severus who silenced her and when she saw him she wanted to cry….in a good way.

She stifled a laugh when her gentle lamb asked if he could give her back.

She stopped moving when Lucius and Severus approached her. They looked at her with such sadness, she had a random thought that she must look like death warmed over.

**** End Flashback****

"Alohomora." Lucius opened the cage and stepped inside. Tears were running down her face.

"shhhh you're ok, just hold on." he said then he smiled, "Get it? Hold on?" referring to her being shackled, she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, but her eyes didn't leave his. The humor was for her benefit only; his eyes told her that he was worried.

She was looking into Lucius' grey eyes and didn't notice Severus step up to unshackle her. When he did she started to slump to the ground, but Lucius caught her easily and walked out of the cage.

He handed her to Severus, lest anyone see and together they walked out of the manor to apperate.

(**A/N:** Please review.)


	2. Pet, Dark Angel, Norse God

She regained consciousness briefly outside in the cool air. She looked up at the two polar opposites, light and dark, both aesthetically pleasing – just being around them made her heart beat faster.

Lucius looked over at his friend carrying the young witch and noticed her eyes were open.

"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly, still walking briskly to their apparition point.

She felt Severus startle, but only slightly. He relaxed when he realized Lucius was speaking to his Hermione…._His Hermione, Sweet Merlin_, He really needed to stop thinking thoughts such as this. He mentally chastised himself and kept walking.

"Did he say Taming of the Shrew?" she asked astonished her voice weak.

She felt and heard the timber of Severus chuckling and the last thing she saw was the bright smile of Lucius Malfoy before she felt the familiar tug of apparition.

***

The Order members filled the room, making it warmer than usual.

Currently, Tonks was being restrained physically from hexing Ron and Harry into oblivion.

Remus was making a good show of scaring Harry and Ron into thinking he couldn't hold her, but the truth was that she was easily restrained. He was a werewolf and one of the benefits was physical strength exceeding that of your average magical bear.

Sirius wanted to laugh Harry's face everytime Remus gave Tonks a slight lead then pulled her back in a huff. Sirius thought Harry was going to develop a permanent twitch.

"We need to all have a seat and think about the best way for us to proceed. Miss Granger is a valuable member of the Order as well as a dear friend." Albus Dumbledore said looking around.

Remus let Tonks go and there was a general sigh of relief when she sat down to only stare daggers at the two instead of sending an unforgiveable their way.

They all heard the floo activate with a click a whoosh and then green flames. A tall, broad shouldered blonde walk through gracefully.

Draco stopped momentarily caught off guard at the room full of people. His eyes panned the room looking for blue eyes that twinkled incessantly.

Draco found what he was looking for; relieved he spoke to the older wizard.

"It was a trap. She was given to Severus as a pet." Draco snickered … to himself, of course.

To his relief, Dumbledore smiled too.

"Is she harmed?" Sirius asked.

Draco snorted, "Molested by Fenrir Greyback, beaten, crucio'd by Aunt Bellatrix, shackled with iron clasps, and caged, but still fine." He paused and then glanced over at his two childhood nemeses, "I can't guarantee the health and welfare of ….others when she recovers though."

A little time went by, enough for the silence in the room to become overbearing. They were all saved by the floo.

Click. Whoosh.

The Order members turned in time to see an even taller, broader-shouldered, Blonde with aristocratic features and a shining smile on his face walk gracefully through the floo surrounded in green flames.

Half the female Order members had hearts that fluttered at the mere mention of Lucius Malfoy – those same Order members were unreasonably jealous of one Hermione Granger.

No sooner had the poster-child for how a Norse God should look entered the room, when –

Click. Whoosh.

The very epitome of dark angel appeared carrying a sleeping woman. All he needed to finish the picture was a sword dripping with the blood of the demon he slayed in one hand and shimmering white wings spread out ready for flight.

The other half of the female Order members who didn't react when Lucius walked through reacted with a shutter when Severus walked through.

Remus' sense of smell was going into overdrive at the varying stages of arousal in the room as the two …er three made their way into the room.

Dumbledore, McGonagal, Tonks, Remus, Sirius and Draco immediately walked to where Severus and Hermione had stopped.

Severus was strangely possessive of the young witch and backed up a step.

"Poppy was called and will be here shortly. We need to take her to the infirmary upstairs." McGonagal ordered.

Severus nodded and began to walk purposefully in that direction.

"Severus?" Albus Dumbledore called.

"Sir?"

"Would you stay and fill us in?"

Hermione was awake by now and patted his chest softly, "I can walk, Professor." She whispered.

Her calling him professor was habit at first, but had become a term of endearment. It was still too weird for her to call him by his given name and too formal for her to address him as Professor Snape, so she shortened it to just Professor.

They were both comfortable with the moniker and it was also a constant subject of teasing when it came to the Malfoys.

"NO, you aren't walking. I…."

"Severus, Draco will make sure she gets there without losing an arm." Lucius teased and pushed his son forward… though he didn't have to, Draco was glad to help. He loved her too – _his Hermie. _

_She hated that name, but never told him he couldn't call her that, she just made a face every time and answered his call. She loved him, he knew._

_She always listened to him whine about this boyfriend or that boyfriend…and he helped her buy shoes._

_Recently, Lucius started calling her Hermie too. This made both Severus and Hermie screw up their faces in distaste._

Severus just looked at the boy/man in front of him. He nodded and let Hermione's feet touch the ground so she could stand. He didn't want Draco carrying her for some reason. Draco seemed to get the hint and wrapped an arm around her waist and placed her arm around his shoulder, "OK Hermie?"

She coughed and hissed in pain, then nodded.

"OK one step at a time, love – oh, and we should really do something with your hair too" He said and off they went not hearing the numerous chuckles and snorts at his last comment.

***

Severus turned to face the room. He looked at Lucius and nodded for the Viking to speak.

Eyes shifted attention and Lucius spoke of what he had recently learned.

"There is another prophecy." He let that sink in for a moment.

Everyone in the room seemed to straighten up at the news coming from the smooth velvety voiced aristocrat.

"Only the dark lord has witnessed its revelation. I have not heard it for myself and know of no one else. What I do know is that his trust has shifted and he is now in a sort of 'panic mode'. The Le'stranges were gifted with more property and promised a child."

"What?" Remus asked the question.

Severus spoke this time, "Bellatrix is unable to have children. It is common among the older pureblood families. She and her husband as well as his brother have been trying for to conceive for quite sometime. She has gone through many miscarriages and two still births. She wants a child more than anything in life." He said with no emotion.

"The dark lord will perform a spell allowing them to conceive." Lucius ended.

"Why?" Ron asked clearly appalled at the idea of Bellatrix LeStrange procreating.

"The dark lord is buying loyalty. The LeStranges, Severus' 'gift', Draco and I have been promised the Ministry itself. We will become a dynasty." He said with a quirk of an eyebrow and an almost evil smile making even Sirius shutter at the thought.

"I wouldn't bet on it!" came a voice from the door way.

Severus and Lucius faces lit up with smiles. Those that weren't aware of the close ties they held for Hermione Granger would think they have gone mad.

"Hermie, you know that in my...."

"OUR" Draco corrected.

"Ahem, right, OUR administration, you would be Chief…..well Chief of whatever you wanted." He promised casually, "You would be Chief Hermie of whatever." He smiled.

She chuckled and walked into his awaiting arms for a hug. He squeezed her quite hard and she returned it with the same enthusiasm.

"Must you?"

"Must I, What?" he asked.

"Hermie…"she sighed.

"Yes I must." He stated, she nodded with resignation and pulled gently away to stand next to Draco at the door.

She brushed by Severus and squeezed his hand quickly. He watched her walk from Lucius to Draco and didn't look away until she stopped. It made her blush.

Tonks smiled at the closeness of the team. She felt the same way about Sirius and Remus.

Tonks glanced at Harry and Ron, both were scowling.

She shook her head, this would not end well.

Sirius rubbed her back as if he knew what she was thinking. She squeezed his knee in silent thanks.

"We need to speak about our failed goal tonight and make plans to attempt to obtain it again." Dumbledore stated flatly hoping to not assign blame anywhere, but he knew that the mere mention of the word 'failed' and Hermione would take the blame herself.

He looked at her and felt her cringe in anticipation of the next plan.

(**A/N:** Please review.)


	3. Times are Hard

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

The two dark figures crept silently through the Hall of Mysteries. The last time they were there the dark lord had planted a vision in Potters mind to lure him out of the safety of Hogwarts where deatheaters waited for the boy-who-lived. As it turned out the boy brought his gang of friends-who-lived-too.

Chaos ensued and then Lucius dropped the prophecy. He paid for that one – Narcissa died because of it.

"We aren't supposed to be here Bella." Robustus complained in a whisper.

"We're just having a look-see, no harm there. Now don't fret dear brother." She said in a whispered shrill ending the question of whether or not they should be snooping.

"Don't call me brother, it's …weird, we've…you know… ah" he stumbled

She grunted, "If you were so upset by it, why not say no; one teensy little word."

"I could never say no to you Bella. You're crazier than a loon and far more dangerous than any dark lord I know."

Bellatrix smiled at her brother-in-law, "you say the sweetest things." She cooed at him and turned back around.

He rolled his eyes and mentally sighed his relief at making it another day at Bella's side. She really was much more dangerous than _anyone_ he knew.

She perked up instantly, "here it is!" she said in a stage whisper.

Together they chanted the practiced spell in order to be able to obtain the prophetic globe and hear its secrets revealed.

The familiar voice of Sybil Trelawney was recognized as the cloudy orb cleared:

_The winds of fate have shifted, allies will become enemies and scarred adversaries will align themselves with those whose power exceeds their own. This pact will reign in terror for 1,000 years of darkness._

_Only when alliances are forged from mixed blood and trust is imparted to half beings and those of noble birth who walk together will the shadows dissolve into light._

"What in sweet Merlins mother, Does that mean?" Robustus asked, more to himself than to his sister-in-law, but she answered anyway, as usual.

"It means there's a traitor among us."

"That's it? What about all that mixed blood half being crap?"

"I don't know yet." She said.

He shook his head wanting to just go home and pour himself a glass of Ogden's finest, maybe find himself a pretty muggle girl…or two and sleep the night away.

Not many people knew that Robustus LeStrange had a muggle fetish. He couldn't get enough of them. He felt immeasurably superior around them without having to do much of anything.

Sweet, pretty, usually tearful, but sometimes not – blonde muggles. He usually picked them up in bars or just took them if they were walking home alone. He liked them to be young, _but not too young that was just gross._ He thought making a face.

They returned the globe to its shelf and snuck back out, neither deatheater was aware of the pair of eyes watching them return.

***

Juno Barris was the night janitor in the Ministry of Magic's' Hall of Mysteries. It wasn't the most noble of professions, but he did have to have special clearances to clean up and he made respectable money. Even thousands of cloudy glass balls needed to be dusted every once in a while, he just happened to do it weekly.

Juno Barris was also a trusted member of the Order of the Phoenix.

***

Sirius, Remus and Tonks started to clean up and waited for the remaining Order members to leave before they left. They usually stayed or hung out at Tonks' cottage in Corso Village.

Sirius and Remus 'officially' resided at Grimmauld Place, but Sirius felt smothered there with all of the memories and Remus just thought it was creepy by himself, so the men only stayed when necessary and preferably when it was filled with other Order members - It was perfect for Order meetings.

Corso Village was out in the country side, away from the hustle and bustle of their busy days. Most people may think, driving by, that the cozy home landed there after a hurricane dropped it on the ground and that inside sat a young girl and her dog who were confused and unable to get back from whence they came.

Some may even look for withered witches feet thinking that the house landed on someone's evil sister so out of place was her house.

The home was indeed an English country cottage. A bit larger than it looked from the outside; the front porch gave the home a warm feeling and the varying foliage in the garden lifted the spirits as the gentle scent of honeysuckle permeated the senses on your way to the front door.

Like most homes of magical beings, the wards either disguised the structure completely or repelled muggles in some way. Tonks' wards made muggles have an overwhelming urge to kiss someone they loved dearly, which resulted in most leaving immediately… almost frantically, in search of their loved ones.

Tonks had, on occasion, watched husbands and wives snog without abandon for what seemed like hours, only to get back in their vehicle and go home for more snogging, she assumed.

As you walked inside, her home was warm and inviting. Passed the foyer and staircase in the back of the home was the kitchen, sitting room and fireplace. She decorated in fall colors of rich browns, yellows, reds and greens.

There were three bedrooms upstairs and two bathrooms. Hers was the master bedroom, of course, and bared the calming color of her beloved Hufflepuff House.

The other two bedrooms were honorary home residents Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

Tonight, worried thoughts raced through Tonks mind and she couldn't wait to go home and take a bath. Maybe she would owl Hermione and they could go hiking tomorrow. She was concerned for MiMi – that was Tonks' nickname for Hermione and no one else called her that.

Hermione and Tonks were particularly talented witches, both very valuable do to their loyalty, intelligence, keen instincts and youth.

The two witches loved one another like sisters and planned to stay that way until their deaths.

"Hey." Tonks turned to find herself face to face with Hermione.

"Hey yourself. You look beat." Tonks teased with a smile.

"Ha. Ha."

Tonks nodded to the tumblers in Hermiones hands as she sat down across from the tired witch, "Are you drinking both of those?" she asked.

Hermione snorted and shook her head, "Heavens no, one is for you." And slid the tumbler to Tonks.

The rose their glasses to each other and spoke together:

_Times are hard and wages are small; so drink more beer and fuck them all!_

They drank the firewhiskey in one gulp then slammed their glasses on the table.

Lucius and Sirius were laughing at the two before the girls noticed they had an audience. Though, their toast was nothing new (they said it each and every first drink of the night) it didn't lose its appeal.

The two men pulled out chairs and sat down next to the witches, "Care for some more?" Sirius asked as he unshrunk a full bottle of Ogdens.

Before long the table sat both teams drinking and speaking in soft tones.

"What are you all on about?" Ron asked suddenly from the door.

"We thought everyone had gone home for the night. Have a seat." Draco said.

Ron looked around, "No place to sit." He sounded like a child.

Tonks sighed "Please, have mine. I was about to head off to bed anyway. Good night all. Hermione, see you in the morning, yeah?" she said standing up.

Hermione nodded and blew a kiss at her friend.

When Tonks made her way to the door, Remus and Sirius stood and bid their farewells also.

"Do I smell?" Ron said sniffing his arm pits.

"Lucius, one more for me, please? Then I am heading off too." Hermione asked tipping her tumbler towards Lucius to refill.

"Why are you leaving Mione? Come out with Harry and me. We never see you." Ron said as he tipped his glass towards Malfoy senior also, but he didn't ask.

Lucius, Draco and Severus all furrowed their brows at the red heads bad manners, but said nothing.

"No, thank you Ron. Another time?" she asked

He looked at her for a moment, then looked around the table at the seated wizards and made his move.

He stood up so swiftly his chair was knocked over, which resulted in the other three wizards to stand as quickly and as forcefully as he did.

Hermione looked at him startled at the sudden burst of energy and as soon as he was clear of the table he grabbed her arm and yanked her with him out of the room.

She yelped as she was being dragged by Ron when Draco caught her and pulled her to him. Still connected to Ron, she was being pulled, quite forcefully, in both directions.

"STOP!" she yelled in hopes that Ron would listen to her, "I'm NOT a piece of taffy!"

Draco released her immediately.

Ron just glared, "I want to speak with you alone."

"Then why not just ask, Ron." She said in a huff

"I didn't think they would let you." He said petulantly.

When he looked up after that statement, he was met with three pair of shocked expressions and raised eyebrows.

"Let me?" she asked getting really annoyed _like I need permission from anyone_ she thought offended at the remark.

"oh boy…" Severus sighed and cleared his throat to signal the Malfoy men to follow him and leave Hermione and Tweedle Dumber alone.

They left and Ron turned to face Hermione.

He stepped close to her; she could feel his breath on her cheek; the warmth of his skin. She couldn't back up any farther, she was against the wall.

_Nice going guys_… she thought miserably of her team.

"Ron, please back up." She told him softly not wanting to look up. She knew his mouth was right there and he would try to kiss her ….again.

"Why won't you look at me Mione? Do you feel it too?" He asked.

"No all I feel is backed into a corner… literally." She sighed, "We tried this Ron; it didn't work, you cheated you were not very nice either remember? Our connection is broken, Ron. I know you know this." She pleaded.

"What about us, Hermione?" a new voice entered the conversation – Harry's.

"You've changed Harry. I tried to be there for you, but you wouldn't accept me."

"I don't think that is it, Hermione. … or what do they call you, Hermie? You changed after you started banging them. I bet Draco wasn't enough for you, so you went to papa and since he and Snape are a package deal, you took it in the arse from the dungeon bat." He said snidely.

She shook her head unable to speak for a moment.

"I'm not banging anyone. How could you say something like that, Harry? I never left you! NOT ONCE! Nor you, Ron. I was ALWAYS there for both of you, BUT YOU. LEFT. ME. So you don't get to treat me this way anymore, you pricks. Now leave me alone!" she loudly whispered.

CRACK! Ron backhanded her in the face.

"GASP" she inhaled at the sudden pain.

THUD! Harry punched her

"OOOMPH!" the breath was knocked out of her and she doubled over falling to the floor.

She looked up at them stunned at their behavior. Never in a million would she have thought they were capable of this, especially towards her.

As they turned to leave she wandlessly cursed them, "Plenus Vesica"

"What the…?!" was all she heard before she blacked out for the third time that day.

Draco found her after a few minutes crumpled on the floor of the hallway. He heard the door bang closed and wanted to check on her.

"Come on baby girl, get up with me." He said his voice full of concern and anger.

He ended up carrying her to the library; walking in, the conversation stopped instantly and Severus took her from his arms.

"Professor…" she whispered.

"I'm here. I'm sorry we left you alone with him." He said promising to exact appropriate punishment on the red head.

"Harry too. What happened with them? What did I do?" she said willing herself not to cry.

Severus didn't trust himself to speak and just shook his head.

"Let's take her home." Lucius offered knowing that all four of them would be staying the night at her house, which was not unusual in and of itself – they often spent their time together much like Remus, Sirius and Tonks. It was just usually at Malfoy Manor – Hermie liked the library there.

Severus stepped into the floo "Granger Home!"

He stepped out into her living area and walked to her room to put her in bed, they would heal her tomorrow.

As he laid her under the covers, she said, "I hexed them. They won't be able to make it to a toilet in time…. Ever." And she drifted off to sleep.

He smirked and Lucius and Draco chuckled from the doorway.

They each kissed her forehead good night and retired to their respective rooms.

Her home was a little larger than Tonks' and about two miles away. The girls decided to live near each other and ended up finding the two houses the perfect distance away from each other.

Hermione's living area was painted in a soft yellow color while her furniture was a deep purple and dark woods accented the room bringing a calm, but elegant feel.

Her room was a lavender color with cream colored bedding and curtains.

She left the decorating of Draco, Lucius and Severus' rooms to them with the condition that they didn't over do it with Slytherin Green.

They didn't and all three rooms were tastefully decorated.

When she had commented on how pleased she was at their décor, Lucius had responded with mild offense stating that Malfoys are always stylish and classy, but he couldn't vouch for the Noble Snape Family's sophistication. This earned him a glare from Severus and a punch in the arm from Hermione. For what its worth, Snapes room was also very refined if not extremely low key.

During the night, she woke up and made her way to her bathroom. In the small room, she sat down in the tub and sobbed over everything that happened that day. She felt so betrayed by Harry and Ron. They left her, without a second thought. She was kidnapped and touched by Fenrir Greyback. She felt dirty and couldn't get the smell of his stinking breath out of her mind. Then Harry and Ron again…. They had **hit **her! HIT HER! More tears. She was trying to stay quiet, she didn't want to wake the others, but she couldn't stop.

She was only mildly surprised when Severus entered quietly and sat behind her to hold her until her tears passed - he was a very light sleeper.

When she was all cried out, he lifted her up and lay back down in her bed. When he rose to leave she grabbed his hand "Please don't leave yet." She whispered.

He nodded and crawled into bed beside her. She curled herself into his warmth, placed her head on his shoulder, tangled her legs in his and breathing in his scent she fell asleep again.

Severus was elated when she asked him to stay. Her warmth, her scent, her presence calmed him like nothing else had.

When he dared to dream of a future, he always pictured her beside him. Waking up to her beautiful face each and every morning; her finger shining with the ring he placed on it; her belly large with his child; her heart filled with love for him and her mind secure in the knowledge that he loved her.

It wouldn't happen of course. He knew he wouldn't make it out of this alive. He only hoped that Lucius made it and would love her after he was gone.

He knew Draco couldn't, he was pretty sure that the boys interests lay in the wizarding world and not so much in a witches brew, if you know what I mean.

To all you muggles out there, Severus was pretty sure Draco was as gay as a handbag full of rainbows!

Severus sighed and tried not to think about Hermione and Lucius naked… at least not without him present.

After a while his eyes grew heavy and his breathing calmed to a predictable rhythm. Severus and Hermione slept better than they had in months, wrapped in each others arms.

(**A/N:** _Please review.)_


	4. A Virgin?

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

At dawn, Severus opened his eyes. He was never one to sleep long hours. She was still wrapped around him like a candy covering. His arms enfolded her body tightly and as the morning drowsiness drifted away he became aware of the amount of skin touching skin.

He morning erection was becoming painful and he was only wearing silk boxers.

He shifted slightly and looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms; he lifted the covers and stared at her bedroom attire… or lack thereof. She was wearing small cotton panties (bikini cut) and a camisole – a matching set in a soft pink color.

He groaned inwardly wanting to touch her…_in that way._

She breathed deeply and stretched, "Severus…" she whispered.

He quirked an eyebrow, she never called him Severus. He didn't mind it, he liked the way his name sounded on her lips. He wanted her to scream it …. _Whoa! Painful, hard on. I need to get up _he thought.

She snuggled deeper, kissing him on his neck. He tensed.

Her hand moved slowly down his warm muscled chest, across his flat toned stomach following the line of dark hair she lightly scratched his lower abdomen causing his muscles to flex in anticipation.

He was still tense, but his hold tightened around her and his breathing became labored.

Her hand dipped lower and found the soft hair surrounding his manhood. Her flat palm rubbed downward at the base of his hardened member, her fingers split and formed a 'V', he hissed as her fingertips reached his balls and gently brushed the sensitive skin.

All the while she was pressing her breasts against him, her hips were making small circles meeting his thigh, and her lips were wreaking havoc on the pulse point behind his ear.

His mind shut down and all the reasons why this shouldn't happen went flying out the window.

His arm loosened and he trailed his fingers down her body and over the curve of her hips to place his hand on her bum. He always wanted to do that. He loved watching her walk away.

He squeezed and pulled her closer. His hand moved to just below her butt to her thigh. His long fingers just touching her core; he could feel the heat from her center and longed to touch her, taste her feel her.

Her fingers were so gentle. She was stroking him now slowly, tenderly. Her lips were at the corner of his mouth now. She whispered again softly, "Please…"

Not that he needed the encouragement; he turned his head and brushed his lips to hers.

She gripped a little tighter and he deepened the kiss with a groan.

His hand moved from the back of her thigh to her wet center.

She moaned and he captured it with his mouth. Their tongues were dancing with jubilation at finally meeting. Severus was sucking and exploring and mimicking the movements of what was to come.

In and out, slowly, sensuously.

He lightly ran his finger over the top of her panties, creating a hiss of pleasure. She pressed her hips forward in hopes that it would create the pressure she needed.

He did it again and she gripped him harder.

He stopped kissing her and licked his way down to her breasts. Not removing her camisole he took one nipple between his teeth and gently nipped it until it pebbled, which was no time at all, he was fairly in the state of arousal they were both in, he could have given it a stern look and it would have pebbled.

He raised her thin shirt and cupped her breast. She sighed and arched her back.

She was no longer stroking him her hand was gripping his shoulder to bring him closer.

He rolled half on top of her and kissed her again before lowering his head to her other breast.

"yessss…" she moaned.

He moved his knee in between her legs and parted her thighs; he balanced on his elbow and ran his finger across her clit. The thin layer of cotton was damp from her moist center.

He lowered his head to kiss her pale stomach and down further to nip at her hips, lick her dark, wet curls and suck her swollen clit.

He had pulled her panties down with his descent and parted her thighs so that her womanhood lay bare for him to see. Glistening with wetness, he inhaled her scent and lapped at her juices again. He bit her and she moaned in ectasy. He sucked her and she tangled her fingers in his hair pushing head into her.

He loved the way she responded so passionately.

"Please don't stop, soooo close…." She begged

"I love the way you taste, love." Lick.

Moan.

"Open more for me…" Suck.

Moan.

He pushed one finger into her heaven and was mildly surprised at how tight she was, he pushed forward gently, still licking and sucking.

She was rocking her hips now and going mad with pleasure. She wanted to feel him inside of her.

He stopped suddenly as his finger met a barrier he was not expecting.

When he didn't continue she sighed and looked at him. It was a little weird because his head was still between her legs, his finger still inside of her – though not moving, much to her dismay and she was still open to his perusal.

"I….You….we…" he couldn't form a sentence, only shake his head.

"What's wrong, Professor?" she asked hoping that he wouldn't reject her.

What started out as a school girl crush her fourth year materialized into a full blown mental love affair with the dark Potions master. She was completely, totally, in love with him. Sure she was attracted to Lucius – he was beautiful and she loved him, but not romantically. Her feelings for Severus Snape ran deep cutting her to the very core.

"I didn't know." He said quietly.

He removed his finger and kissed her thigh softly before moving to lie beside her and closing her legs in one fell swoop.

She closed her eyes and turned her back to him, embarrassed.

He rested his hand on her hip and started brushing his thumb back and forth against the soft skin of her bum.

"I wasn't prepared to share that information with people. How pathetic am I, saving myself…" she stopped before she went too far… _Nope, too late._

Severus stiffened, "Saving yourself for … what, love?" he whispered.

She turned to look at him, opened her mouth to speak, but a loud knock at the door stopped her in her tracks.

She got out of bed reluctantly and gingerly – her body was still very sore from yesterday, pulled down her camisole, put her panties back on and watched Severus hide his gigantic hard on as he walked to her bathroom. _He looked embarrassed_. She thought.

She opened the door a little frustrated to see two grinning Malfoys, "Did we interrupt something?" Draco asked sweetly

"Unfortunately, No." she said

Lucius pointed his wand at her face, murmuring a healing charm her jaw felt better and the bruise faded a bit. Her black eye would fade with time, but it didn't hurt.

Severus walked out of the bathroom in his boxers and pushed passed the smiling blondes to his room.

She looked at Lucius, "Is there coffee?" she asked knowing that Draco didn't drink coffee and Lucius liked his coffee the same way she liked hers…. Strong.

He nodded and opened his arms for a hug.

She wondered for a moment if he had always been this affectionate with those he loved or if this was a result of years of abuse and his wife's death. She'd ask Draco later, until then she walked into his embrace happily.

His arms engulfed her and she felt safe.

"Get cleaned up, love, then come get some breakfast." He said and kissed the top of her head.

He watched her turn around and walk back into her bathroom. _She had a lovely body and he wanted to lick every part of it_. He thought before he turned to go and tease Severus.

***

After coffee, Draco and Hermione were in the kitchen cleaning up and listening to the radio when a song came on that motivated the two to dance.

The song Loosen Up My Buttons by the **PussyCat Dolls** was playing when Lucius and Severus walked in to see Hermiones' arms raised in the air, eyes closed, smile on her face, shaking her hips seductively to the rhythm of the music with Draco pressed up behind her his hands resting on her hips, his hips were moving with hers, his eyes were closed and he had a smile on his face too.

_You wouldn't think Draco had rhythm, but my oh my, the boy could dance!_ She thought happily.

The two were oblivious when Draco spun her around to face him. He wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her close, with the other hand he grabbed her leg and hiked it up above his hip and leaned forward a little so she bent back backwards in a front dip as he continued to bump and grind against her in the beat of the music.

He almost dropped her when Severus cleared his throat.

"So…we need to talk… all of us…" Lucius said awkwardly. He could feel the jealousy coming off Severus in waves.

Hermione stood and poured tea for her dance partner and Severus and some coffee for her and Lucius. She opened the window to let the breeze refresh the kitchen and sat down with her team.

Severus watched her every move. He thought her graceful and sexy and refined all rolled into one perfect woman. She was wearing faded jeans with a hole at her knee and another forming right under left butt cheek. He wondered briefly if he could transfigure himself into a pair of jeans…. then shook his head to clear it of the images that suddenly infiltrated his mind at the thought of touching her beautiful arse again.

She had on a light green tank top that read, _Feeling Lucky, Punk?_ With a clover near the indention of her waist.

She was also wearing tan hiking boots and her hair was in a pony tail, with sunglasses resting right above her forehead.

She didn't have any glamour charms on and her tattoo and scars were clearly visible. He looked at her tattoo; a small serpent dragon on the inside of her wrist. They all had one, they got them together one night on a whim a few months ago.

Lucius and Severus had placed theirs on the side of their rib cages. It was unlikely the dark lord would ask them to disrobe and find the mark.

Draco was tattoo'd behind his ear, his hair covered it most of the time and the dark lord didn't pay much attention to Draco's ear anyway.

They knew she was going hiking today with Tonks – the girls needed to get away from all the testosterone.

"You must move in with Severus, Hermie." Lucius said.

She nodded. "I know. Can I still go to school, Professor?" looking at Severus.

"Yes. He gave you to me because he thought your intelligence would spark my interest, so I can use that as a reason for allowing you to continue your regular life."

"He'll want you to break her." Draco said softly.

She rolled her eyes, tired of all the boohooing over her future.

"I'm going hiking. I can't handle all of this dooms-day prattle. Break Me! HA! AS IF!" and the door closed behind her leaving the three men smirking after her shaking their heads at her gumption.

"Ricky!" Lucius called the house elf.

POP!

"Yes master Malfoy."

"Please ask Mssrs. Black and Lupin to come over after Mistress Tonks' leaves."

The girls decided to share two houselves, Ricky and Tavi. Tonks and Mimi didn't want house elves at all, but the last battle had left them orphaned and the girls felt so sad for them. Hogwarts already had as many house elves as they could manage, so the two witches decided to share.

Ricky and Tavi could move about each house without restriction.

"Yes master Malfoy"

POP!

Severus rubbed his eyes and ran a hand of frustration through his hair.

"So she's a virgin." Lucius stated.

Draco looked up surprised, "she dated both Viktor Krum and Tweedle Dumber. She didn't….you know, do the deed with either of them? …and didn't she go out with Oliver Wood briefly?" he asked.

"Yes to all of your questions, but…" Severus answered clearly at a loss for words.

"The dark lord can't find out, Severus." Lucius warned.

Severus nodded in agreement.

"Why so somber this morning?" Sirius asked making his way to the coffee pot.

"Hermie has to move in with Severus and she's a virgin. We don't have the object yet, but the dark lord gets wind of her …status, it won't matter if we have it or not; virgin blood is too powerful." Lucius informed the two men.

Remus dropped into a seat and looked up sharply, "Dare I ask how you found out she was a virgin?"

Lucius and Draco looked at Severus with smug expressions waiting for him to tell the story they had yet to hear.

Severus rolled his eyes and as Sirius sat down, he began his story to the attentive men sitting at Hermione's kitchen table.

***

"So can you still attend University?" Tonks asked

"Yes, I can. It will just be so hard living with him."

Tonks nodded in understanding. They had reached the half-way summit and took a break to drink some water.

Tonks was dressed similarly to Hermione except her tank top was black with a pair of pretty green girly cat eyes over each nipple drawing ones eye to Tonks' chest.

Hiking was the only time the girls really had together without their team members. They didn't have to wear glamour charms to cover scars or flaws and they didn't have to speak if they didn't want nor did anyone's ego need to be stroked.

Tonks had a particularly nasty scar running from her throat down her chest ending at her belly button. A slicing hex had caught and almost severed her in half. Luckily, Hermione had cast a stasis spell over Tonks' life force effectively stopping her soul from moving on. Hermione sent her patronus to Severus to come as quickly as he could. He arrived shortly after and saved Tonks' life by mending the tissues and organs split by the hex.

It took the young woman weeks to finally recover. Hermione was there every day.

Hermione had been captured during her seventh year by Gregory Goyle Sr.

He had strapped her to an old fashioned whipping post and given 50 lashes for punishment of speaking poorly about the young Goyle.

She had made it through 40 lashes before passing out. She didn't know how long she hung there after Goyle Sr. walked away, but when she woke up, Severus, Lucius and Draco were asleep right next to her bed and Tonks, Sirius and Remus were in chairs within sight of her. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be found.

She bears the scars of that experience proudly, some of them wrap around to the front of her shoulders resembling long fingers gripping her from behind.

Tonks broke her from her reverie, "So he knows you're a virgin." It was a statement not a question.

Hermione nodded.

"…and you think he doesn't want you now because of it?"

Hermione nodded… again.

"Have you told him how you feel?"

"NO. I was going to this morning, but we were interrupted by the Vikings." Hermione said half smiling.

Tonks snorted.

"I think he just wants you to be sure. He doesn't take his eyes off you… ever, Mimi."

"He came and sat with me last night, in the tub. He didn't say a word, just held me."

Tonks grabbed her friends hand mid stride and stopped her, "You cannot let Harry and Ron get to you. Things change. You were there for them and they left you. They USED you. Never once did Harry ever stand up for you when Ron went flying off the handle. And Ron always thought the worst of you first. How many times did he stop talking to you because he THOUGHT you did or said something you didn't?" Tonks was looking into Hermione's eyes.

When Hermione didn't say anything Tonks continued, "Ron and Harry almost RAPED you, MIMI! Have you told Draco or Severus? Lucius may not be the right one to tell, he has a fairly quick temper and Merlin don't tell Sirius he'd blow a gasket!"

Hermione laughed a little then shook her head no.

"He hit me last night. I couldn't believe it. Harry punched me. What is going on, Tonks?" Hermione looked at the ground and started walking again, though not as fast.

Tonks followed, "I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it isn't your fault. You need to tell them (LM/DM/SS) about Ron and Harry. You shouldn't ever be alone with them." Tonks said.

"We're almost to the top." Hermione said looking up

They sat and ate lunch, talked about girl stuff, then sat back for a short nap before heading back. Each girl found a shade tree to lean against and drifted off to sleep.

***

Remus was the first to get jumpy. Tonks had been gone for almost eight hours. He decided to floo call Severus. After calling Hermione's house with no one answering, he tried Snape Manor library.

"Severus?"

"Remus" came the reply

"Are Tonks and Hermione there?"

"No, they aren't at Tonks'"

"No. I tried there first, then Hermiones and you're the third. Sirius and I are at Grimmauld Place."

"I'll try Malfoy Manor. Hermione likes the library there." Severus said to the ashy representation of Remus' face in the fireplace.

Severus waited a moment until Remus' face disappeared; he grabbed floo powder and stepped in, "Malfoy Manor!"

Lucius and Draco were both reading a book in the warm library when Severus stepped through the fireplace.

The aristocrats looked up in mild alarm – Severus never just 'drops by' – "Are they here?"

"No." the men said in unison – it really didn't matter of whom Severus was speaking, nobody but Draco and Lucius was here. However, they both understood to who Severus was referring.

Shortly after all five men were congregated in Hermione's kitchen ready to apperate to where the girls hiked.

The men walked up the small hill to a pretty clearing with a breathtaking 360 degree view.

"Wow" Draco said.

The other wizards nodded in agreement, before finding both witches sitting against opposite sides of one tree fast asleep.

"I'm getting gray hair and worry lines and they are getting beauty sleep. Unfair." Lucius said.

Tonks startled at Lucius' voice, she looked up to see Sirius and Remus casting shadows over her. She smiled at them, "hey." She said

"Hey" they said together and reached down to pull her up.

"Where's Mimi?" she asked the wizards

"I'm here." She responded walking around the tree holding hands with Draco.

"Not that we aren't happy to see…all of you, but what brings you out here?" Hermione asked the crowd.

"You all. You've been gone for nine hours now." Remus said looking at his watch.

"Really? I feel good though, don't you Mimi?"

Hermione smiled and nodded, "yeah. HEY, Let's do something muggle!" She said excitedly grabbing Severus and Lucius by the hands pulling them with her while she skipped to the path down the hill.

Remus and Tonks were on board with the muggle idea, but Sirius, Lucius, Draco and Severus had their doubts.

They followed, but only because they were holding hands with a happy – and quite lovely- witch.

(**A/N:** _Please review.)_


	5. Kind of a Big Deal

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

"You must." She pleaded

Severus and Lucius just continued to regard her with mild distaste at the mere thought of wearing muggle clothing. Both wizards were traditional in their preference for wizarding attire.

She decided to use a different tactic; she sat and sighed looking down at her now clasped hands resting in her lap.

"I was hoping we could do something different, something that **I** could share with you. You both are so incredibly important parts of my life; always protecting me and sharing your lives with me that I can't help but want to share something special with…"

Gagging noises from the doorway stopped her mid guilt trip.

Draco was standing at the doorway not only making gagging sounds but going through the motions of vomiting.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and silently threatened to make him scream like a girl …again, if he continued.

When Hermione and Draco looked back to Severus and Lucius both wizards were dressed in muggle wear looking quite handsome.

"I can**not** believe that worked!" Draco said astounded that the older wizards let her manipulate them so.

The younger Malfoy rolled his eyes at Hermione and gasped in mock scandal as she stuck her tongue out at him in a gloating gesture.

Hermione had showered, put on the same pair of jeans she wore earlier, and slipped her feet into a pair of pink and white K-Swiss sneakers.

Her pink t-shirt was stretched across her breasts emphasizing her small waist. It didn't extend to the tops of her jeans, which left a thin band of skin showing.

Draco and Sirius chuckled aloud when she turned and they read her shirt –

_**I'm Kind of a Big Deal **_written across her chest.

Her hair was pulled into a pony tail and she was wearing light makeup and glamour charms.

When Tonks walked in she too was wearing her jeans from earlier and neon green Puma sneakers with black stripes. She was wearing a light green ribbed tank top that read – _**I Love Me n**_. But the 'N' was crossed out so it ended up reading **I love Me**.

Her hair hung loose and she was also wearing glamour charms and light make up.

"Where are we going?" Remus asked mildly worried about the trouble the seven of them could get into with the proper motivations…

Tonks just smiled at the lycanthrope and took his and Sirius' arm, "Ready?" she asked

"As ready as we'll ever be." Sirius said and in an instant she had disapperated with them in tow.

Severus immediately turned to Hermione, "you can't side-along three of us."

"I know. Draco knows where we are going so he'll meet us there." She said then became alarmed when both of the older wizards started encroaching upon Draco menacingly.

Draco raised his eyebrows in alarm and disapperated away in the blink of an eye leaving two slightly annoyed, but very handsome wizards at the mercy of one Hermione Granger.

The Dark Angel and Norse God turned slowly facing the reason for their slight vexation and looked at her unenthusiastically.

"Come gentlemen, your chariot awaits." She said bowing and offering her hands for them to grasp.

"You being the chariot?" Severus asked seductively

"If you're lucky." She responded coquettishly before disapperating with them.

They landed behind a small building and looked around.

"What is that insufferable racket?" Lucius complained

It took a moment for Severus to realize where they were and when he did, he groaned loudly.

"Miss Granger, Pray tell what this place is." Lucius asked directly to his not-so-beloved team mate at the moment.

She balked a little bit, he only called her Miss Granger when he was extremely annoyed at her… and by the looks of it; he was extremely annoyed at her.

Sirius and Severus were also wearing sour expressions. Remus was smiling; he hadn't been since he was a child. Tonks and Draco were in the middle of stifling laughter at the older pure-blooded (and half-blooded) wizards' dismay.

"Well?" Lucius barked startling Hermione with the powerful thunder of his voice.

She cleared her throat, "A carnival."

His expression cleared immediately, "As in the Brazilian Carnaval in Sao Paolo?"

"Sort of - not exactly, on a smaller scale." She said knowing her description was bordering on an outright lie.

Severus and Remus gave her looks of warning and incredulousness at her explanation.

"How much of a smaller scale?" Lucius asked suspiciously

She smiled demurely, "They have cotton candy." Not many people knew that Lucius had an insatiable sweet tooth; it rivaled Dumbledore's.

Severus rolled his eyes knowing she had played her trump card.

"Ooh nice one…" Draco whispered to Tonks as they both sniggered a bit at the slight release of tension in Lucius' shoulders at the mention of cotton candy.

"What color?" he asked like a stubborn child.

"We can make it any color you want. We can go straight there if you would like." She said placating him.

As the group walked around riding rides and eating junk food, the stares eased a bit. The issue was that wizards tended to look larger than they were when in the company of muggles. Hermione's own mother had told her that something about the wizards she brought home seemed larger than life. Hermione figured it had to do with their magical aura's surrounding their being.

She smiled and shook her head, the Vikings were already tall men – the younger around 6'2" and Malfoy senior another inch taller, though he was broader a more filled out; Draco was very fine-boned like his mother. The Dark Angel reached 6'5". He was slender, but not thin. She couldn't imagine how large they must seem to average muggles who had no idea magical beings even existed.

They had stopped for more cotton candy and as she was waiting she looked over at Sirius, Tonks and Remus. Sirius and Remus were both at least 6'2" and Tonks was as tall as she was, all of them walking in must have set off muggle alarms somewhere.

She continued to watch her friends, Sirius was throwing a baseball trying to knock down some bottles – Tonks was laughing at him missing and berating him for mentioning magic and Remus was looking lovingly at Tonks with a far off smile on his face.

Remus must have felt the weight of her gaze because he looked up and met her inquisitive stare. She quirked an eyebrow and he blushed down to the roots of his hair.

She looked away to find Lucius happily eating more cotton candy and Severus sipping on his beer.

It was night and everything was lit up like Christmas.

Draco was about to ask a question when the music started. He waited until he recognized the song and his face suddenly got very excited.

Tonks and Hermione were jumping up and down clapping when they grabbed Draco's hand and took off running towards the music. When they arrived they found people already dancing on the stage.

With a flick of her wrist – inconspicuously of course, a pole appeared in the center of the stage. They started dancing.

When Sirius, Lucius, Remus and Severus caught up to the younger team members they were speechless.

"I'm not angry that we came anymore." He paused, "In fact, if this is what we have to look forward to, we can come every day." Lucius spoke watching Hermione's hips.

Severus and Remus felt like the wind was knocked out of them and had trouble recuperating. They liked what they saw, minus Draco, but they didn't like what everyone else saw.

Hermione and Tonks had sandwiched Draco. All three were swaying their hips to the beat of the music. Draco was resting one of his hands on Hermione's hip and the other on top of her bum. He was leaning back into Tonks and she had him by the shoulder crossing onto his chest while the other was up in the air – Remus smiled in spite of himself.

Severus on the other hand couldn't form a complete thought, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around hermiones waist and feel her body move with his.

The music continued… (**Right Round by FloRida**)

_Hey  
Hopped out of that house with my swagger  
Hop in that with girl, i got places to go!  
People to see, time is precious  
I look at my crowd and they out of control  
Just like my mind where i'm going  
No women, no shorties, no nothin but clothes…_

…_. __You spin my head right round, right round_

_  
When you go down, when you go down down_

_  
From the top of the pole i watch her go down_

_  
She got me throwin my money around_

_  
Ain't nothin more beautiful to be found_

_  
It's goin down down._

The song was about to end when Draco hissed in pain; he was being summoned. Hermione looked towards the crowd and cringed at the grim looks on her death eaters faces.

They jumped down and left the carnival.

"Am I going too?" Hermione asked not sure what she wanted to hear. She didn't want to be away from them and wanted to know what was going on, but was fearful of what would happen to her if she went.

Lucius and Severus looked at one another in a silent exchange of thoughts. When Severus turned to her he nodded somberly.

"NO! She can't go." Draco yelled at his Godfather.

"She has to Draco. The dark Lord will want to see how Severus has been treating her."

At that thought Severus stopped and waved his wand over her body. Lucius nodded in agreement and the group disapperated in one POP.

Sirius, Tonks and Remus decided to go home and wait for their return, but before they left, Sirius wanted some more cotton candy.

***

Three wizards walked into the hall where the dark lord resided. All three bowed while Severus dragged Hermione next to him, she struggled, but she was no match for his strength. He physically dragged her down by her hair until her nose was an inch from the floor.

Severus had cast a silencing spell on her right before they entered so she could mouth words, but no sound would be emitted, which was good because she was cursing like a sailor after he grabbed her hair.

The Dark Lord chuckled, "Rise loyal followers."

"Is she still not broken Sssseverussss? I would have thought by now she would be in a very ….welcoming state."

"My Lord, she has more …energy than I anticipated and more nerve than I care to readily admit." Severus answered with as much honesty as he could with the dark lord, it meant less lies to keep track of.

"My Lord, may I make a request?" Severus asked respectfully.

"You may ask, Severusssss."

"I would like my pet to continue at University." There was a gasp of surprise by the death eaters in the room then silence. You could hear a pin drop.

No one spoke and the dark lord looked at Severus closely. Severus pushed thoughts of beatings to the front of his mind, he pushed thoughts of Hermione asking question after question and of him casting a silencing charm over her time and time again. He pushed thoughts of her burning dinner and him beating her for it.

The dark lord smiled, "Why?"

Severus knew that the dark lord read his mind, but wanted a verbal confirmation.

"My lord, she is very clever, but speaks unremittingly. Rambles on, question after question until I beat her; at University she could ask someone else the questions and when I beat her it would be at **my** leisure. They also have cooking classes that she would attend." He said the last with disdain. Hermione's cooking was a bone of contention within their team and it always ended in either argument or her storming off slamming doors.

"She may, Severusss."

"Thank you, my lord."

As Severus walked backwards out of the 'spotlight' (One never turned their back to the dark lord, he considered it rude and you would pay dearly) Lucius was called to the forefront.

"Yes my lord."

"Have you been witness to the mudbloods cooking?"

"Yes my lord. Atrocious."

"What else have you been a witnesssss to?" the dark lord slurred.

"My Lord?" Lucius asked hoping he could pull off the dumb blonde act.

"Other…events in the Snape household?"

"I was once present whilst she was beaten. Personally, I didn't see anything wrong with a mere question, but Severus seemed fed up."

"Yes, Severussss is rather impatient at times, is he not?" the dark lord paused to looked at Severus trying to subdo a struggling Hermione.

"No, I mean _other_ events." He turned to Severus, "Have you not taken the girl yet, Severus?"

At this time Draco started making gagging noises again and making his body convulse. Lucius looked at his son and wanted to laugh at the absurdity.

"Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing?" the dark lord asked mildly irritated at the interruption.

"Sorry my lord, but the thought of doing…_it_... with a mudblood, particularly **that** mudblood is just too much for me to envision. May I leave?" More gagging noises.

The dark lord rolled his beady snake like eyes, "No Mr. Malfoy you may not and stop your belly aching, she's rather attractive for a mudblood." The dark lord admitted walking over to her.

Both Severus and Hermione froze when they realized about what kinds of 'other things' the dark lord was talking.

"Rise my dear." He said to Hermione.

She rose slowly and looked him in the eye. She was shaking like a leaf, but not backing down.

The dark lord smiled at her courage, "so young and full of life; so beautiful and soft; such a Gryffindor, girl; that will be the death of you." He admonished and led her through the hall.

"I doubt it." she said stubbornly.

She didn't see it coming, the back hand that sent her skidding across the hall floor.

"YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME WITHOUT PERMISSION?!?" he yelled.

She was not thinking and stood up unsteadily, he was walking quickly back to her –

_He has no wand…_ she thought. She ran for him and tackled him; knocking him to the ground. She tried to get some punches in and had no plans to stop her assault, but there was an animal clawing its way out of her body trying to get out. She was screaming now – Severus had removed the silence charm when the dark lord approached her.

After a short while Severus walked up, "My lord, she will go mad." He said hoping that the crucio would end; it was killing him to see her screaming in pain.

Voldemort ended the unforgiveable and looked up at Severus, "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

_This didn't sound good… _

"Lucius!"

"Yes My lord?"

"Imperio…"


	6. Juno Barris

(**A/N:** _I know that Lucius is completely out of character – this rather light-hearted side of him, but I enjoy the contradiction. I hope to demonstrate flashes of the Lucius we all know and love – consistent with the cannon character._ _**Thanks for reading**__!)_

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Albus walked over to the window and let the little owl inside. His eyes twinkling, "Mr. Perkins, it's been a while." He said to the bird. Grabbing a treat for its trouble, Albus took the scroll from its leg and stepped aside for its departure.

_Leaky Cauldron 4pm_

Albus looked up, seemingly in deep thought. When Professor McGonagall walked in she looked up also wondering what exactly they were looking at or for.

"It's close to 4pm. I must go." He said to her.

"Go? Where?" she inquired

"The Leaky Cauldron. I will return soon." He gave her a piercing stare, one that held promises for future engagements. She blushed like a school girl and then he was gone.

"Oh for goodness sakes, Minnie, stop blushing! 67 years and he still has an effect on you…" she was talking to herself, of course, as no one was in the room except Fawkes and he just shook his head at her.

"OH shut up!" she told the phoenix and shut the door behind her.

"SQUAWK!" the bird responded to the empty room in retaliation for Miverva's rather rude departure.

***

Juno sat down after a long day of dusting high shelves and sweeping endless floors – his back was aching and he needed a drink more than he needed his lovely, albeit chatty, wife's cooking.

He waited patiently at a booth in the corner of the less than stellar establishment with a small glass of watered down firewhiskey.

A short portly man with watery eyes and limp dark brown hair falling to his shoulders sat down in front of Juno Barris.

"You made it." Juno stated with relief.

The portly man nodded and waited for the waitress to pour him a glass of watered down firewhiskey also. As she retreated with the bottle, Juno spoke again.

"Bellatrix and Robustus were nosing around the prophecies. They are very curious as to you-know-who's motivations, Albus."

"What did they find?"

"It." Juno said secretively.

"Did you hear **it**?" Albus said a bit annoyed that the man across from him wouldn't just come out with it, all this cloak and dagger stuff was for the younger wizards. Albus would have been pleased with a general announcement at an Order meeting.

"I will give you the pensieve…" Juno whispered as he raised his wand to his head

"Not here, Juno. I will call a meeting tonight and you can share it then."

"What if I am taken, abducted and tortured? They will find me out." Juno said looking around him suddenly suspicious.

Albus fought the urge to roll his eyes and instead snapped his fingers conjuring a parchment and quill, "write it down." was all he said and pushed the writing implements towards the sneaky janitor.

The man inhaled then exhaled loudly before he began to write. Albus thought this was some sort of concentration technique to help him remember.

_The winds of fate have shifted, allies will become enemies and scarred adversaries will align themselves with those whose power exceeds their own. This pact will reign in darkness and terror for 1,000 years._

_Only when alliances are forged from mixed blood and trust is imparted to half beings and those of noble birth who walk together will the shadows dissolve into light._

Albus rolled up the parchment placing it in his sleeve and stood.

"Thank you Juno. As usual you have proven your value to the Order and remain a trusted ally. Good day." Albus dropped two gold pieces on the table to pay for the drinks and walked out. By the time he was back in the headmasters office he was starting to turn back into the aged wizard persona of Albus Dumbledore.

He looked at the parchment again. Walking to the floo he called his wife of sixty…something years – he couldn't remember off the top of his head, though he would keep that comment to himself – to the office. He needed a second opinion.

"Willy"

POP!

"Yes Master Albus." The little elf greeted as he bowed.

"Would you bring Minvera and me some tea and scones?"

"Yes Master Albus."

POP!

When Minerva arrived she bristled as he engulfed her in a gentle hug.

"You smell like firewhiskey, Albus… and not very good firewhiskey at that." She huffed but returned the hug.

POP!

"Mistress and Master, your tea and scones." Willy set the tray down and bowed to both.

POP!

"Strange little creature. Why do you call on him so much, when bitsy is so devoted to you?" she asked preparing a cup of tea for both of them.

Albus didn't answer her question, but instead handed her the parchment and took a bite of a scone.

She looked at him questioning his sanity for a moment then read the parchment. She slowly placed the parchment on the table and reached inside her robes pulling out a shiny silver flask with her initials on the front.

She twisted the cap open and poured a small amount into each tea cup. She returned the flask to her robes and watched her husband take a drink.

He nodded at her and sighed as the warm feeling rushed through his body and into his stomach. His wife held a penchant for fine whiskey and considering her Scottish roots, no one obtained better Single Malt Scotch Whiskey from the Highlands.

She took a drink, "Now that's whiskey." She said proudly and refocused on the prophecy.

"Who?" she asked

"Juno Barris"

She rolled her eyes, "He reads too many muggle spy novels, but he has come through in the past with reliable information. No reason to doubt this." She looked up at Albus for his agreement.

Before she spoke again – she was going to suggest an Order meeting – he spoke, "I already called one for tonight, but we have time before to …talk." He said smiling.

He took her hands in his and pulled her up to stand in front of him.

She was tall; her eyes coming directly level with his nose. In her youth she had bright auburn hair, though with age it has lost its vibrance and is now starting to grow in gray.

She has moss green eyes and every time he looks at her he sees the witch he fell in love with those many years ago.

_****Flashback ****_

He was a sixth year prefect and she a fourth year. He had wanted to talk to her, but couldn't seem to find the right moment. One night she was walking in from a stroll by the lake – past curfew, tsk. tsk.

She was paused near the suit of armor down the hall from the Gryffindor common room looking out the large window, when he walked up behind her.

She felt his breath before he spoke, she simultaneously whipped around grabbing her wand and yelled, "STUPEFY!"

He was not expecting that. It knocked him out for a moment or two.

He remembers his eyes opening to auburn hair falling by his ear, a pale faced girl with the most enchanting moss green eyes looking into his and she was apologizing profusely.

That was when he fell in love. It took him the remainder of his sixth year and the entirety of his last year at Hogwarts to get her to go out with him.

They married five years later in a small ceremony in Strathspey, Scotland.

_****End Flashback****_

He led her to their quarters and closed the door. He would show her how precious she was to him even now, after these many years.

***

Harry was feeling the burden of guilt and decided that copious amounts of firewhiskey would ease the weight from his shoulders. He could barely hold his head upright, much less turn it to face his partner in crime, Ron Weasely. Their mingled sighs and hunched shoulders made them the sorriest looking 'Golden boys' the wizarding world had yet to lay eyes upon.

Ron, well beyond intoxicated, was still looking around in interest at the jiggling breasts of the waitresses. He had already been warned about being too rough with them. He had tried to pull one down onto his lap after being presented with the rosiest nipples he had ever seen in his life while she was replacing his mug of beer with a fresh one.

Unbeknownst to the waitress, she bent over a little to place the mug on the table, thereby dangling said rosy nipples in Rons face.

He couldn't take it. He opened his mouth and sucked in one of those nipples while pulling her into a seated position right on top of his …growing interest.

She had yelped in surprise, which caught the attention of the bar manager. Ron had been warned.

Though the waitress was now ensuring that his mug was refreshed much more often than really necessary. He also noticed that she would steal glances in his direction while attending to another patron.

She made her way back to him and replaced his mug again, bending over …again and dangling her assets in his face…again.

His eyes not leaving hers, he opened his mouth …again and sucked in one of her nipples.

She let out a breath and motioned for him to follow her.

He looked at his very drunk friend and said, "I'll be right back, mate."

Harry only nodded in response.

Ron followed the girl…and her nipples to the back, through some curtains and into a private booth.

She turned and cupped her breasts with her hands pinching her nipples for him to see. When he moved to touch her she backed away and nodded towards the little box on the wall.

It was for payment of services. He was too drunk to care and slid two galleons into the box.

She smiled and placed his hands on her breasts for him to squeeze.

He sat down and had her stand in between his legs – he wanted to taste more of those lovely pink nipples.

He swirled her nipples with his tongue, bit them lightly and sucked gently all the while cupping them with his large hands.

She was surprised at his affect on her. She didn't have to use any of the lubricating charms she usually did. He was turning her on all by himself. This was a pleasant surprise.

He suddenly nipped her nipple harder than before and slipped his fingers inside her wet folds.

She jumped a little at the intrusion.

"Spread your legs s'more." He slurred.

She complied and he shoved more fingers up inside of her.

She was mildly uncomfortable now and started to rethink her opinion of him.

He reached forward and flicked her nippled with his tongue and when she sighed he bit her again, causing her to flinch.

He pressed the pad of his thumb on her clit, harder than was necessary and she reflexively attempted to close her legs, but since she was standing and he had his fingers inside of her and his teeth on her nipple, her movement was limited.

"Bend over the table." He commanded quietly.

She did as she was told, not quite fearful, but weary.

He pulled her skirt down to her ankles grabbing her feet so she would step out of it. She was naked now, bent over a table revealing her the white skin of her bum.

He spread her legs and unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants and rubbed his hand down her crack and inserted a finger into her opening.

He pulled out and moved down to her clit again, rubbing circles causing her knees to go weak. She had not had an orgasm in years.

She was panting now and could feel the pressure building.

He spread her butt cheeks eyeing her little puckered star with lust. He was still rubbing her clit and she was now moaning. He rubbed his finger along her glistening cave and used it as lubrication for her star.

When she was moaning 'yessss' he thrust inside her backside and pumped almost violently until he felt his release.

_There was a little blood, but nothing she wouldn't be used to, she only cried for a moment. I made her cum first_. He thought callously. He knew that he wasn't going to stick his dick inside something that half the wizarding population had already inhabited.

He left after he cast a cleaning spell on himself.

She cried – she had never done it that way before… and it hurt.

Ron walked out into the open bar area looking for Harry, when he saw the state his dark haired friend was in he sighed and decided it was best to take him home…or at least to place they had been staying.

"Come on mate. Let's go home."

"We have to find Hermione. I have to say sorry."

UGH! "No let's go home first."

"NO! STUPEFY!" Harry yelled and staggered out without Ron to find Hermione.

***

"My Lord a word please." Walden MacNair called to Voldemort in between pants.

The man was out of breath. He didn't want to interrupt, but he had no choice.

MacNair had been frequenting some unsavory establishments of late and caught the most interesting displays between drunken friends. Harry Potter had stunned Ron Weasely.

MacNair acted fast, seemingly all of the alcohol suddenly evaporating making him strangely clear headed.

He cast an immobilus spell on the knocked out red head then apperated them both to outside of Surrey Crossing.

The deatheater left his prize out in the foyer and walked inside quickly to catch his lords' attention. MacNair paused at what he came across and was almost curious enough to wait and watch it play out.

Apparently, the dark lord had Lucius Malfoy – THE Lucius Malfoy – under the imperious curse. MacNair sneered in pleasure; _he hated the tall blonde with all of his money and manners. He had everything and MacNair had nothing._

_Lucius had a girl bent over a table and was pulling off her pants. He had her by the hair and was whispering to her, _though MacNair couldn't hear what he was saying_. The girl was crying. _

MacNair wanted to be Lucius._ Even the dark lord cast a kind eye towards Lucius, Bella and that greasy git Severus Snape and NOW… the younger Malfoy was making a name for himself, but with this prize MacNair would be recognized and valued above all._

"My Lord a word please?"

***

"Lucius I want to see you take Miss Granger. I can _feel_ your hunger for the girl. Take her." Lucius walked to Hermione as if in a trance.

"My Lord, I beg you reconsider. Lucius is a friend, but I dislike sharing." Severus stated with anger lacing his voice.

"SILENCE. CRUCIO!" the dark lord cast the unforgiveable at Severus resulting in the dark angel to fall to his knees, though he never made a sound.

Curiously, when the Voldemort crucio'd Severus, Lucius was able to regain his faculties and hoped the dark lord would not notice.

Hermione was bent over a table and Lucius placed himself behind her, pressing against her and spreading her legs. Suddenly, she felt his breath by her ear.

"Hermie, listen to me. We can't let him know you are a virgin. I'm sorry." He whispered sadly.

She nodded as tears coursed down her cheeks.

"This will hurt. I will go quickly. Ok?"

She nodded.

Then, by sheer dumb luck, "My Lord a word please?"

Lucius looked at Severus when Voldemorts attention focused on MacNair.

"What is it?"

"My Lord, please accept this gift from me." and flicked his wand towards the door.

In floated the red head now fully awake and looking around in a panic.

Hermione recognized the red hair and tensed.

Voldemort was so thrilled with the gift he dismissed everyone but MacNair.

"Go! NOW! I will call you later." As deatheaters left, Severus grabbed Hermione and walked quickly out of the hall.

Lucius and Draco followed at a short distance behind.

"Put him in the dungeon, Walden. You have done well tonight."

Walden MacNair smiled and took his prize with him to the dungeons.

***

They arrived at Hermione's home. Draco sat down, "Merlin that was too close for comfort."

Hermione was shaken and just looked at Lucius.

He took one look at her and crushed her in a hug that she returned with ardor.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered to her.

"It's ok. We are ok." She said nodding into his chest feeling safe and loved.

"I need a drink, let's go home." Lucius said to everyone in the room meaning they were to follow to Malfoy library for a night cap.

Severus and Hermione nodded in agreement. "I just need to change." She said.

Lucius and Draco floo'd home and Severus and Hermione were left staring at the floo where the two Vikings once stood.

"Professor…." She sobbed and he gathered her up in two quick strides. She held onto him as if her life depended on it. Her body shaking with sobs.

He sat down holding her on his lap. He couldn't let her go, he couldn't speak; he could barely breathe.

It took a few minutes but she regained her composure and looked at him with puffy red eyes, "this is the second time in two days you have allowed me to cry all over you…. Thank you." She said quietly wanting to kiss him; wanting to feel his warm body cover hers; wanting to feel his calloused hands roam across her skin.

"Anytime. Now how about that drink?" he said wanting to change the subject lest he be found out. He loved her, no doubt about that. He sighed as she walked to her room to shower and change. He knew Lucius was much more suited as a mate for her, but he just couldn't let her go yet.

***

Severus floo'd first and was shaking his head as he gracefully walked into the library meeting Draco and Lucius already on their third glass of whiskey.

"What?" Draco asked Severus

"You'll see."

The floo activated and out walks Hermione – their Hermione- wearing white cotton pajamas (short sleeved button top and pants) with pink bunnies all over them and fuzzy pink bunny slippers. Her hair was loose, still damp from her shower and she had no makeup on.

The Malfoy's both smirked and grunted as she sat down.

Shaking his head Draco said, "I am both comforted and appalled at the thought that you are so comfortable as to arrive to our home in such a state of casual-ness. However, when you find yourself a husband you may want to think about ditching the grandma pajamas and opt for a silky-skin-baring negligee."

She snorted in to her glass, "Find a husband, huh? Any man willing to accept my scars, my attitude and my friends is deserving of a medal; actually finding one who will also love and care about me is deserving of a monument." she said looking into her glass before she downed it in one drink.

"I love and care for you, Hermie." Draco said quietly.

She smiled and took his hand. "I love you too, but we aren't going to get married."

He laughed.

Lucius and Severus felt decidedly uncomfortable at the exchange and her revelation of feeling.

Lucius spoke, "Hermie, I…."

He was interrupted by Severus proposing a toast, "Here's to sheer dumb luck."

"Hear Hear!" Draco and Hermione said in unison.

Severus and Lucius just stared at one another.

After a moment, Lucius quirked an eyebrow and bowed his head slightly yielding defeat…in this instance.


	7. naked and wandless

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

With Lucius and Severus in large leather chairs and with her and Draco sitting together, holding hands loosely on the loveseat, she decided to just come clean with her team. _Tonks was right, they needed to know._ She thought.

She looked around and each member was either studying the contents of their glass or watching the flames in the fireplace.

Severus noticed her fidgeting first "Is something wrong, love?"

Draco felt her tense, she hand squeezed his hand unconsciously and Lucius quirked an eyebrow at Severus calling her love.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head, "I want to share something with all of you." She paused and raised her eyes to meet each wizard's concerned gaze briefly.

"I must premise this discussion with a caveat that by no means are you to interpret this as a weakness or an appeal for protection." She looked around with a stern expression.

Lucius rolled his eyes, Draco nodded and Severus – always impatient- made a circular hand movement signaling for her to get on with it.

She smiled at him.

"About 10 months ago Harry, Ron and I were sent on a mission in Bulgaria." She started.

"I remember. You three were gone for four days. I seem to remember you came back not speaking to one another." Severus said now getting a little worried at what Hermione was about to say.

She could feel both Lucius and Draco's heavy stare and couldn't bring her eyes to meet theirs.

"We spent the first two days arguing about the importance of the mission. Harry wanted to go in wands blazing and Ron wanted to go first so he could be seen as 'a force to be reckoned with' – his words, not mine.

Anyway, I thought we needed to follow directions and just wait and report what we saw. We didn't know anything about what the information we reported was going to be used for and I didn't want to screw it up." she stopped to pour another glass and offered to refill their glasses. When she sat down again, Draco grabbed her hand and she smiled at his encouragement to continue.

"I was successful in keeping them grounded for the moment, but then the conversation turned to Ron and my relationship.

He wanted to 'take the next step' – he even got Harry arguing for him telling me that I needed to loosen up and that Ron and I were meant to be together and how I shouldn't be so picky and that not very many wizards would …. Well, he just said some not very nice things and regardless if they are true it was unnecessary to say them." She took a drink staring into the fire.

"Sometime during the last night Ron and Harry broke out a bottle of Ogdens. The more they drank the more agitated they got. Out of the blue, Ron turned to me muttering something about me thinking I was too good for him. I knew he was drunk so tried to ignore him until he snatched my wand from my pocket and threw it somewhere. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me telling me I should be his." She sighed and looked down at her hand being squeezed by Draco. He sat stone still and his face was a mask of anger. She didn't dare look at Severus or Lucius.

Draco looked at her and then down at their entwined fingers – he realized he was squeezing and loosened his grip. He swallowed and nodded for her to continue as his thumb brushed the top of her hand lovingly.

Lucius did not want to believe what he was hearing. He needed to hear the rest of the story, before he killed the red head. _Yes, he would wait_. He thought _revenge would be sweet._

Lucius also noted that in the back of his mind somewhere, his heart was breaking for this young girl. _She was betrayed by her two closest friends, people she didn't believe would ever intentionally hurt her._

Severus was bordering on homicidal- mania. He could form no coherent thought other than ever since he could remember he had wanted to throttle both boys and it was divine providence that his reason for actually following through was being presented to him. No one would ever hurt her again if he could help it.

"He pushed me to the ground and Harry cast a silence charm. Ron asked me if I was a virgin and Harry laughed when I didn't answer. Ron suddenly started pulling at my jeans, he ripped my shirt open…" she took another drink and wiped her face – tears had started somewhere along the way, and she noticed that Lucius was on his knees at her feet with a tissue.

Severus couldn't move he needed her to finish the story so he could go beat the living daylights out of tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber… without magic.

"I was struggling, but Ron was sitting on my legs and Harry was holding my arms above my head.

Ron slapped me to stop struggling and began groping me, it was then that we heard something and they stopped to see what it was.

I was pulling myself together when Remus and Tonks apperated in and noticed my unsettled state. Luckily I had managed to button my shirt and pull my pants back up, but I was shaking badly and couldn't stop."

"Tonks and Remus knew?" Draco asked sounding a little offended that he didn't know before Remus.

"Tonks knew, Remus didn't. He knew something was not right, but didn't know exactly. I swore Tonks to secrecy, so she didn't tell him.

I thought that they were just drunk, you know? They wouldn't do that if they were in their right minds, but the other night when they hit me…" she looked up now,

"I don't want to be alone with them, but I don't want the whole world knowing …."

"That they almost raped you." Lucius said quietly.

She nodded, "I keep telling myself that I can handle this. I'm Hermione Granger… DAMNIT!" she yelled and stood, "I AM NOT SCARED. I CAN HANDLE ANYTHING ANYONE THROWS AT ME!" her breath caught, she was going to lose it and she didn't want an audience when she did, "I have to go." She said suddenly and stepped into the floo, "GRANGER HOME!"

It took a second for it to sink in that she had gone after her short, but powerful tirade.

"She can't be alone right now, what the hell is she thinking?" Draco asked incredulously.

This motivated the wizards to follow, almost scrambling to comfort her. Lucius spoke a quick spell to life the anti-apperition charms in the room and with one loud POP they were gone.

***

She stepped into her living room and collapsed. She couldn't stop the sobbing, so many things had happened. She didn't feel sorry for herself at all, but she never gave herself time to recover, thinking it was best to keep moving and not dwell.

Well now it all came to a head.

She just knew they would view her as an albatross now. Some broken little girl in need of constant comforting; that wasn't it at all, she just needed to grieve.

She would do her job and be herself, but she just needed some time to think this through. Hermione wasn't good at emotions. You could read about what was supposed to occur and how you were supposed to feel, but in practice, actually experiencing the _feeling_ part was difficult for her.

"I shouldn't have told them… OH why did I do that?" she sobbed.

A deep voice from the doorway startled her, "Because you love us and we love you." Severus said to her.

The three of them were standing in her doorway, looking like they were going to cry with her. She would have laughed had she been able.

Instead she scrambled up off the floor and jumped into Severus' arms. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and the group moved to the couch to sit.

Lucius lit the fire in the fireplace and Draco went to make tea.

Severus sat down with Hermione on his lap and Lucius, as he sat next to them, draped her legs over his lap and started massaging lightly her calves and feet.

They just let her cry, rubbing her feet and Severus caressing her hair and holding her, they just let her get it all out.

Draco whispered that they were gits and that none of this was her fault and then asked her why her stupid cat was following him around. Crookshanks just kept meowing at him and following him from room to room.

When she had quieted down to hiccups and hitches in breathing, they knew she had fallen asleep.

Severus picked her up and placed her in bed sans fuzzy pink bunny slippers and let her sleep.

"So what now?" Draco asked almost fearful that Severus and his father would want to go find Potter right now.

Banging on the front door prevented them from answering that question and when Lucius went to open it he stopped short momentarily caught off guard.

"Harry Potter just the man I wanted to see." Lucius said smoothly. To Harry's ears his tone was not out of the ordinary, but to Severus and Draco it meant certain death for the target.

"I need to speak to Hermione. I…. I…"

"No. I think you've ….spoken to her quite enough." Lucius said.

Severus and Draco made their presence known at that point and Harry backed up a step.

"Why are you all here?" Harry asked accusingly, "Ron's right, she is a whore!"

Normally, the door would have been shut in Harry's face – letting him sober up, however, the trio was not about to let the boy-who-lived be the boy-who-was-mean-to-the-only-friend-who-could-help-him.

Lucius stepped outside, grabbed Potter and apperated. Draco and Severus knew where they went and followed suit.

***

Voldemort was pacing outside of Ron Weasely's cell.

"Where is Harry Potter?"

"I don't know."

"You are a pureblooded wizard why the fight for those inferior to you?" Voldemort asked

"Aren't you a half blood, so does that make inferior to me?"

Voldemorts face darkened with anger and then it vanished.

"I'm ssssspeaking specccccifically of mudbloods. It can't be explained why they have magical powers, with half-bloods magical prowess can be traced."

Ron said nothing.

Voldemort continued, "Miss Granger is smarter than you are, more powerful and more precise in her spells. Why do you think? She is also very attractive for a mudblood."

Rons eyes turned stormy, "She's a whore." he bit out.

Voldemort quirked an eyebrow…kind of, "Oh? How so? Did she dump you for someone more intelligent? Or maybe someone more well-endowed in the bedroom?"

Ron couldn't take it anymore. Plenty of witches would give their wand arm to be with him. He hated Hermione.

"We never had sex. She said she wanted to wait. She's a virgin…or at least she was until…"

Voldemort very interested in this line of discussion, "until what Mr. Weasely?" he asked like he cared about the boys feelings.

Ron looked down, ashamed that he hated her and angry that she had chosen them instead of him, "until she started with the Malfoys and Snape."

"Malfoy –s?"

"Yes, both… I don't understand. What do they have that I don't?" Ron whined forgetting to whom he was speaking.

Even the dark lord, who was not in control of all his faculties most of the time, knew what the death eaters had that the young Weasely didn't.

Severus didn't make any indication that he was sharing, in fact quite the contrary.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley, You've been of great assistance. Would you like to stay in a room with a bed and food? We also have other…amenities?"

Ron thought about it and nodded.

With a wave of Voldemorts hand the shackles were released and Ron fell to the floor. When he stood Voldemort beckoned him to follow. Through the hall, up the stairs and out into a kitchen where four house elves were preparing meals.

Into a grand hall with at least 50 cloaked deatheaters sat around a large dinner table.

"Please sit, Mr. Weasely."

Ron sat on the left side of Voldemort and looked around nervously. The conversations and movement had come to a screeching halt as he was the focus of everyones attention.

"Please welcome Mr. Weasely, he will be staying with us for a time. Robustus?"

"Yes my lord?"

"Would you be so kind as to show Mr. Weasely the stable after dinner and then to his room?"

Robustus bowed his head, "Yes my lord."

Dinner was relatively pleasant, much to Ron's surprise they didn't tear apart raw flesh with their bare teeth. They ate like civilized beings even having normal conversations, many conversations were things Ron couldn't understand… he thought of Hermione then, she would be able to understand them. He wondered briefly what the stable was, he shrugged _I guess I'll find out._

Robustus stood and tapped Ron on the shoulder, "Ready?"

Ron nodded and pushed away from the table. He paused and looked at Voldemort, "thank you." He said and turned…presenting his back to Voldemort.

Voldemort smirked he would let the stupid boy have his way tonight... after all he had provided some very valuable information.

Robustus tensed waiting for the inevitable crucio to come and render the red head unconscious, but it never came.

As the unlikely pair walked along Robustus spoke first, "What did you do to deserve this treatment?"

Ron shrugged, "I don't know, mate. I wish I knew."

Robustus grimaced at the familiar term and shook his head at the stupid boy. It didn't matter what happened tonight, in the end the red head was a blood traitor and he would die. Something told Robustus it would be painful and slow.

They arrived at a door and opened it. The two men walked inside to 15 or 20 women of varying shades and hair color huddled together near the fireplace.

Ron raised his eyebrows at this pleasant surprise.

"What is this?"

"The dark lords stable of women. Some are witches, some are muggles – none are purebloods. Take your pick." Robustus said as he eyeballed a tall blonde in the corner.

"How many do I get?"

Robustus had to suppress the urge to slap the boy for his greed and entitled nature, "As many as you want, Mr. Weasley."

Ron looked around, "that one and that one." He pointed.

Robustus thought it funny how both girls resembled Hermione Granger. Both had wavy dark brown hair, pale skin and brown eyes, though not as tall as the original Granger. _These girls were probably lacking the spirit that Miss Granger had also_. He thought remembering her physically tackling the dark lord and toppling him to the ground. Robustus sniggered quietly. _He would never, under any circumstances allow that thought to become a verbal manifestation_.

"The dark lord had the house elves ensure the stables cleanliness and uses …tightening charms on them regularly." Robustus added looking at the boy hoping the red head understood without it being spelled out. _Nope, not that lucky_.

"He makes sure even the least endowed death eater has a pleasantly snug fit while taking advantage of this service."

Nothing. Blink. Blink.

_This boy is thick_ Robustus thought. So he tried again.

"It doesn't matter if you have a small dick, when you fuck them it will feel tight."

That worked. The light went on and Ron smiled.

At that moment Robustus felt strangely sorry for the Order of the Phoenix for having to put up with this idiot for so long. Robustus showed Ron his room and shoved the three inside gently. He closed and warded the door so no one could leave then placed a silencing charm around it. He knew the girls were expected to act enthusiastic. He snorted at the thought of the deserved academy awards after this performance.

***

The Malfoys retired to their rooms and Severus went to check on Hermione. She was fast asleep he thought.

He stood for a moment watching her sleeping form and thought about the events of the last hour.

They had beaten the boy within an inch of his life – they couldn't kill him, he needed to defeat the dark lord – and left him tied to a tree naked and wandless.

They would send an owl to Remus in the morning on where to find the boy-who-lived. He did owl Tonks to let her know that Hermione had told them, hoping she would offer an explanation as to why Potter was so badly beaten.

"Severus?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes, love."

"Will you stay with me?... please?"

She sounded so vulnerable.

"Yes love."

He walked to the bed and toed off his shoes, placed his socks inside of them and undressed down to his boxers. _Maybe I should leave my shirt on_ he thought, _but then he would be hot and wouldn't get any sleep._

He slid under the covers and she immediately snuggled up next to him.

"Do you think me weak?" she asked him

"No." he said wrapping his arms around her.

She was playing with the trail of dark hair leading from his belly button to under his boxers; making his belly flip flop and other parts come to attention.

She slid her hand just under the band of his boxers, "Will you have me Severus?"

He gulped.

"yes." He said quietly and brought her lips to his.

Her hand delved lower and she softly grasped his hardened member. He was so thick her fingers didn't meet when she stroked him. This made her a little nervous.

"Don't be afraid." He said as if he knew what she was thinking.

He pushed her onto her back and pulled her arms over her head, "let me." he said moving to unbutton her top and throw it across the room.

He pulled her pants down and left her nude for his view.

She was feeling a little self conscious, but didn't try to cover herself. She was strangely turned on by his lust-filled gaze of her body.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

He kissed her cheek and her neck. He licked down to her shoulder and bit her there. She reacted with a gasp and arched her breasts closer to her body.

He gently parted her thighs to allow his larger frame to lie between them. He kissed her collar bone and took her nipple in his mouth. He sucked and flicked and listened to her breathing become labored and her moans become louder.

He moved to the other nipple and cupped the previous one with his large hand brushing his thumb over the pebbled nipple.

He moved down licking her stomach and blowing on the wet skin making her flesh pimple with anticipation.

He moved down further and kissed the top of her mound, bit the inside of her thigh and smell her heavenly musky scent that he would remember until the day he dies.

He looked down into her glistening depths and licked her swollen nub causing her to buck at the sensation.

He tucked in, licking and sucking making her scream his name. She came crashing down with him licking her languidly lapping up her juices until she was almost too sensitive to stand it.

He kissed up her body when she was on the verge of insanity and kissed her.

She sucked his tongue into her mouth and heard him groan.

She could taste herself on his tongue and smell herself on his lips and she couldn't wait to feel him inside of her.

He placed the head of his penis at her entry and pushed in a little.

She stiffened at the intrusion, but relaxed after a moment.

He was shaking with restraint, he didn't want to hurt her, but his need to feel her around him was too hard to resist.

He looked in her eyes and saw the desire and the permission to push forward. He did in one forceful thrust.

She felt like she was being split in two. He was very large. She yelped and she tensed, inadvertently clamping down on him, making it even harder for him to wait before cumming.

"Relax, love." He said.

"But you're so big, Severus. I feel like I'm being torn apart."

He smirked…he couldn't help it. "It'll fit. I promise." He said.

She was panting and slowly relaxed. She moved her hips uncertainly at first.

He groaned and started moving. He could barely move she was so tight.

"Sweet, Sweet Hermione; you are exquisite." He said with clenched teeth.

"Severus….. Oh…"

He moved his thumb to gently circle her clit between them as he pumped in and out of her as tenderly as he could, but he could feel that he was near.

"OH keep hitting that spot… please… Severus" she panted

"There – and there… and the…oh Hermione, I'm cumming"

She yelled his name and spread her legs as far as she could and came with him.

"You're larger than normal, aren't you?" she asked sleepily

"Yes."

She sighed, "Ok."

Together they resettled after casting a quick cleaning spell and both drifted off to sleep wrapped in each other's arms.

(**A/N:** _Please Review and __Thanks for reading__!)_


	8. The Next Meal

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

They were gathered at the kitchen table when Remus, Sirius and Tonks floo'd in and pulled up chairs to the table.

"Did you find him?" Draco asked

Remus nodded, but didn't speak and poured himself some coffee from the carafe on the table.

Severus and Lucius looked at each both silently agreeing that this was an odd response considering the three of them had just put damper on the Chosen One's physical capabilities for the near future.

"Did you take him to Poppy?" Severus asked

"No." Sirius said with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Tonks smirked, "We left him."

Draco coughed and sputtered into his tea cup. After he recovered he wiped his chin and muttered an 'excuse me'. No one paid him any mind, but he was raised to have manners…

"I'm sorry; I thought you said you left him?" Draco asked clarifying

Remus nodded again, but still didn't speak.

Lucius belted out a mirthful, devious laugh, "I'm impressed."

Sirius thought it was time to explain, since he _was_ Tweedle Dumbs Godfather, "After Tonks received your owl last night, she woke us up concerned that you were going to kill him. She got angry when we continued to look at her like she had grown another pink haired head – we couldn't understand why you would kill him at this point in time, so she explained what happened between the three and were worried that you wouldn't take it well." He stated looking pointedly at Severus.

"What Sirius fails to mention is when I got to the part where Tweedle dumb held her down while Tweedle Dumber knocked her around, sparks were flying from his wand and he was already running out the door ready to assist in whatever way you needed." Tonks said with a stern, but playful look at her cousin.

She didn't look at Remus, though he was glaring at her throughout the conversation.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Remus? You were the voice of reason?" Draco asked the werewolf.

Remus shook his head, "Not exactly. I'm irritated beyond belief that neither Tonks nor Hermione felt comfortable enough to share the information with me. I was there a moment afterward! I knew something went wrong! I just didn't see it, I …" he shook his head and looked into his cup – he had guilt written all over his face.

"She wasn't ready to tell anyone yet. She still thinks she did something wrong to them." Severus had spoken and he said the last part with quiet malice, but his intent was to ease the werewolf's guilt. There was nothing Remus could have done that wouldn't have gotten him into trouble at the time.

Hermione was still asleep and they all had decided to let her, she wasn't an emotional witch and probably felt embarrassed at this entire situation, she needed time to pull herself together. Only her closest friends would have intuited this about her, which spoke volumes about how close they all were to include Tonks, Moony and Padfoot.

"She has to move today." Lucius stated

"I do not relish the idea of Crookshanks having free run of my family's estate." Severus said sourly.

Sirius dropped his back and laughed, "You have no choice, mate" he said still smiling at the darker wizard.

Draco brought the other team up to date on the occurrences of the last order meeting. They needed a plan to rescue Tweedle Dumber, keep Hermie from being raped and pillaged, and take down one certifiably insane dark lord. The latter needed a healthy Harry Potter in order to be successful... or so they thought.

"We have to take him to Poppy." Remus said after a period of silence referring to the naked and wandless boy-who-was-still-tied-to-a-tree.

They all nodded and looked at Tonks.

After a moment it dawned on her, "Seriously? Why me?"

"You can be the hero-ine. You're a girl. You should want to make sure he's ok, right?" Sirius pleaded.

She just looked at him, "Things have really gone 'round the bend when you all are looking to me for feminine sympathies."

Everyone in the Order knew that Tonks was hard core, she could keep up with the best wizards in dueling, casting spells and physical activities. She didn't cry…or at least no one had ever seen her cry, save Mimi.

Taking the fact that Tonks was not a girly-girl, there was nothing masculine about her. _She was tall and thin with curves in all the right places. Olive toned complexion with flawless skin. She had the warmest brown eyes and her smile brought smiles to his face. She was funny, always seeing the humor in any situation, but knowing when to be serious. She was smart and a quick learn. Patient with those warranting a learning curve and compassionate. She gave people the benefit of the doubt and didn't judge until she was positive she knew the entire story. _

Remus thought about all these attributes and smiled internally, because though he recognized all of them, _he wanted so badly to feel her skin against his; her lips brush against his; her legs wrapped around his; her voice saying/screaming/ moaning his name; her lips wrapped around his… oh boy, his pants just shrunk a full size_.

He sighed miserably and changed his direction of thinking, _Hermione kissing Severus…NO! Not that. _

_ummm Hagrid. _

_YES! Hagrid…skinny dipping. _

_Ugh!_

"Wotcha Moony! You alright?" Tonks asked him giving him the strangest look. She had a slight blush to her cheeks.

Sirius smirked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Remus asked her, but Sirius answered

"…because you were staring at her like she was your next meal, mate."

This time Remus blushed scarlet and the group erupted in laughter. A voice from the entry way stopped them from further taunting the already embarrassed werewolf.

"I have an idea." Hermione said

Severus looked at her and stood to give her his chair. She smiled and took the chair he proffered. Then he quickly moved to get another chair and sat by her.

"awwwww!" Sirius said at the gentlemanly gesture, but stopped short after he received glares from both Hermione and her Dark Angel.

Just then Sirius jumped from his chair and backed away quickly running into the counter… he was also screaming like a girl.

He watched as Crookshanks hopped onto the recently, if not suddenly, vacant seat and sat licking his paws.

He looked at Hermione with daggers in his dark grey eyes, "YOU MADE HIM CLAW ME! NOT. NICE." He accused pointing his finger the young witching sitting next to Severus currently giving him a sugary sweet smile.

"Why Sirius, I don't know about what you speak. Are you ok?" she said just as sweetly in teasing concern while furrowing her brows at the question.

Severus smirked.

"HE CLAWED ME… HE COULD HAVE… injured my… you know… jewels." He finished lamely.

"Jewels? Whatever do you mean?" again sweetly, but this time an evil sparkle in her hazel eyes presented itself.

The Vikings, Tonks and Remus were now crying with laughter; Draco was about to fall off his chair.

Sirius grimaced and shoo'd the half-kneazle half demon-cat down from the chair and sat gingerly, wincing in drama at the imaginary continued pain.

"So what's the plan?" Tonks asked her friend relieved to see a glitter in Mimi's eyes again. Plotting did that to people, brought them back to life.

"First, we need to take Harry to Madam Pomphrey." Hermione said with a knowing, but appreciative look.

"You know?" Draco peeped.

"I do."

Severus and Lucius tensed waiting for her head to explode and them to be disowned.

Instead she looked around the table with her eyes heavy with appreciative tears, "Thank you." She whispered and stood suddenly to go get cleaned up; before she left the room she hugged Tonks and kissed, on the cheek, every wizard in the room.

If the purebloods, the halfbloods and the werewolf had been anything other than hard, strong M.E.N. there would not be a dry eye in the house, as it were, flushed cheeks, bowed heads and sounds of throats clearing filled the kitchen of a much loved witch.

***

Hermione and Tonks had promised to meet the rest of the group at Hogwarts an hour later. The group had decided that the two girls would be better received by a battered Harry than four angry wizards who had already left him tied, naked and wandless.

"Harry?" Hermione said his name, questioning if he could hear her.

She touched his shoulder and his eyes fluttered open.

"Mione?" he croaked while Tonks removed the ties that bound him.

"Yes. Let's get you up. I have a cloak for you." She said holding it up for him walk into like a child into the waiting arms of his mother holding up a towel after a bath.

"Mione, I'm so sorry. I… Please forgive me. So sorry… so sorry." He was sobbing now on her shoulder.

She had to swallow the rising lump in her throat so she didn't join him in the river of tears he was sure to let loose.

_She'd had enough of crying for the time being, goodness, I'm a sap._ She thought, but she felt so much better and she smiled to herself at the thought of her wizards… _so caring, but to the world they were stony faced wizards of questionable loyalties and soul less eyes._

She also smiled at the thought of a repeat performance of last night. She sighed briefly waxing nostalgia then got back to the task at hand; taking the crying bag of bruises, a.k.a. Harry Potter or more commonly referred to as Tweedle Dumb, to the hospital to get fixed up and mentally prepared. She furthermore acknowledged that the two former best friends needed to have a come-to-Jesus meeting about his previous behavior and drinking problem… and oh yeah, figure out a way to rescue Ron.

***

Harry settled in letting Poppy Pomphrey heal his much deserved wounds and fuss over his state of battery. He would be fine in a day or two. In the mean time, he wanted to think about what Hermione had said.

_She did love him. She didn't ever leave him when he needed her and he had treated her like an object at his disposal, even physically harming her. What the hell was he thinking?_

_He wasn't. He concluded. He was so filled with anger at having to be 'the chosen one' and not be able to enjoy his teen years like other carefree wizards… like his father; and anguish at all those that he had lost or never known like his parents; and plain jealousy that Hermione had been loved by her parents, was smart and well rounded, and had no fear. _

_He was scared all the time. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to save the wizarding world from a dark lord –_ _he didn't want that burden; what if he failed? _

_He knew he had to do the right thing, and this was the right thing._

Yes, he whined to her about this and she had listened with compassion and then she stopped him and smacked him… literally.

It was time to grow up he told him. She said that he didn't have to do any of this alone. He didn't have to stand alone.

_He forgot that. He wasn't alone. He never was. _

With that thought he sighed in relief and the once heavy burden resting securely on his shoulders eased and he felt better.

***

"Are you packed?" He asked her his breath moving her hair as he spoke.

He wasn't touching her, but he was close. She ached for him, but now was not the time.

_Maybe a quick kiss?_ She thought

She turned to do just that and found him leaving her bedroom with a smirk on his face.

"Harrumph! He'll pay for that later." She said to herself and returned to the boxes of her most favorite books.

This was still her house and she wasn't moving out, just giving the impression she was living with her 'Master'.

She had told them of her plan and they looked less than enthusiastic at the idea, but relented in the face of the absence of other solutions.

(**A/N:** Please Review and Thanks for reading!)


	9. No

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

"Is she all settled?" Lucius asked Severus as they sat in Malfoy Manor library each slowly drinking a tumbler of the finest fire whiskey money could buy.

"Yes. Draco is with her now. He volunteered to edit her Charms thesis before she submitted it to her professor." He said to the blonde staring intently at him.

"What topic did she choose for her thesis?" Lucius asked conversationally, knowing that anything Hermione wrote would be brilliant.

"The addition of an invisibility potion to enhance the functionality of the disillusionment charm; since the charm works best if you don't move adding a potion could mitigate the shimmer providing a more suitable protective measure for Aurors on surveillance." He said proudly looking up at Lucius.

He smirked at the blondes' raised eyebrows and mildly surprised expression change into a full blown smile and proud gleam in his eyes, and then it changed into question.

"Why didn't she discuss this with us? Why did Draco get to review her paper? We could certainly have helped her more than a wizard or witch of equal experience." Lucius said almost offended and definitely envious of his son.

Severus nodded in agreement, but answered with what he guessed was the reason for her exclusion of the elder wizards, "I believe the lovely Miss Granger wanted to do this on her own, plain and simple. She knew Draco would most likely agree with her conclusions due to his skill level and experience matching hers. She didn't even want me to help with the potion." Severus chuckled a little at the memory of her shooing him away like he was a fly.

All he had wanted to do was take a look. He was curious; he _was_ a potions master after all. How could she brew something and not include him?

_****Flashback****_

She walked downstairs to her basement, where she had her mini lab. It has cost her a pretty galleon to have the cottage magically altered to include a basement, but it was worth it in the end.

She was able to recreate the potions she completed under the Professors guidance by herself ensuring she knew exactly how to brew the potions.

This also allowed for her to experiment on her Theory of Invisibility and for it to take hold and materialize.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs after she had opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

Severus turned around with a bewildered look on his face, "How long have you been brewing alone?"

She sighed; she knew this day would come, "Since you accepted me as your apprentice." She paused, "I wanted to make sure that I could brew the potions alone, without having to rely on anyone. I also wanted to be able to get creative without having to worry about blowing up you or your lab; and I wanted to do something that would not only make you proud of me, but also make a difference, you know?" she was tense, he could see it/ feel it coming off of her in waves.

He nodded and walked to stand in front of her, he was holding back a smirk, "Can I see? I may be of some assistance, Miss Granger." He said easily slipping into Professor mode.

This 'professor mode' did two things of which he was unaware; made her heart beat faster and caused the blood from her brain to migrate southbound at high rates.

"No." she said waiting for him to hex her and walk out of her life.

His face fell and least as much as an expressionless mans' face falls….well it was more like the slight glimmer in his inky eyes went out…kind of, anyway, she knew he was disappointed when he asked, "why not?"

Choosing her words carefully, "It isn't ready yet and I was hoping to bring a passable version to you. It's far from acceptable, I'm still working through the ….kinks." she said hoping that he would leave it be.

She wasn't lying, she was still working through the kinks; the last rat she experimented on went blind and seemed to forget how to negotiate a small two twist maze. That was bad.

The potion was not supposed to affect the memory; it was supposed to inhibit the physiologic sustainment of the body's natural inclination to persist in its physical form. Instead, it seemed to affect the rat like an Obliviate spell.

"Kinks." It was a statement not a question.

His curiosity was perked, but he respected the witch in front of him.

The fact that he respected her coupled with the vision she presented currently severely inhibited any logical thought regarding potions or otherwise left his brain; brewing knowledge seeped out through the cracks in his intellectual armor. He couldn't focus on the cauldron and low flame sustaining the potion within, but instead watched the bead of sweat fall into the valley between her breasts.

If he were a weaker man he would have caught that bead of sweat with his tongue and proceed to ensure her breasts were sweat free for the remainder of the afternoon.

Her tank top was almost transparent with perspiration. Her hair was in a bun, but wild strands had escaped framing her face like a crown.

Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes excited. Her breathing was active and the rise and fall of her chest made his groin ache.

Her shorts revealed long sculpted legs, shiny and sun-kissed. She wore flip flops on her painted pink toes and when he saw them all he could envision was her beautiful feel resting on his shoulders while he…..

He didn't trust himself to speak after that thought, but he knew he needed to get away or move away from the enticing witch before him so he nodded curtly and walked up stairs.

_**** End Flashback****_

Just thinking about it made him want to feel her warmth surround his hardened member.

"Severus?" Lucius asked smirking, "Pray tell, what is running through your mind currently?"

Severus, jolted out of his reverie, looked at Lucius then quickly down at his drink. He gulped it in one go and stood to leave silently thanking the Gods his robes hid many things.

He stepped into the floo and faintly heard the guffaw of Lucius Malfoy before he reached the library in Snape Manor.

***

Draco walked through the floo and met a laughing Lucius, which still looked out of place in his opinion.

"Father?"

Lucius shook his head at his son giving him the only answer he was going to give.

He stood and took a tumbler from the bar and motioned to his son silently asking him if he wanted a glass of firewhiskey.

"Yes, Please." Again with the manners.

His father walked over and sat on the couch next to his son handing him the full tumbler.

Draco found this new semi equality very satisfying; he had spent so many years fearing his father that now it was heart warming to know that Lucius was not only human, but would deign to serve his only son.

"How's her paper?" Lucius asked somewhat hesitantly not knowing how loyal Draco would be in regards to Hermie.

"Brilliant. She is truly a genius. I think it's going to work, but she needs help with the potion but isn't ready to ask Severus yet and the disillusionment charm needs to be tweaked so I told her to ask you about it." He sighed and continued, "But she just gave me a smile and kissed me my cheek sending me on my way. I really hate being dismissed by her. I always walk away feeling like she values me."

Lucius snorted in his glass and looked at his son perplexed at his mock melancholy, "so what's the problem?"

Draco looked at the man like he was daft, "When I'm outside of her influence I realize she didn't need me at all. I feel used." He said and laughed at himself.

Lucius laughed at him too and took a drink.

The Vikings hissed in pain a moment later when the dark mark residing on their arms started pulsing. They took out their wands, touched the tip to the mark and murmured a spell taking them directly to the dark lord.

They met Severus outside with Hermione.

The Vikings stopped short momentarily as it was apparent Hermie had just stepped out of the shower.

Her hair was damp and loose and her skin looked refreshed and healthy.

Lucius guessed that she threw on the closest pair of clothes; because she looked positively enticing in denim shorts that made her lovely legs look longer, if that were possible. She had pink flip flops on and red nail polish on her toes – Lucius noticed her toes because he wanted nothing more than to see them out of his periphery while they rested on his shoulders…

She was wearing a white lace camisole with a pink cotton camisole over it. The pink one had a picture of a kitten that read **Pretty Kitty.**

In short, she was a vision; the edible version of Hermione Granger.

Draco shook his head at her, "Oh boy." Was all he said.

She looked at the tall blondes with an expression of apology, "I'm sorry, the Professor kept yelling at me to hurry and this was all I could find." She said her voice laced with irritation as she cut her eyes towards Severus Snape.

They just looked at Severus; he looked enraged.

This was not going to end well.

***

The quartet walked in together and when the dark lord saw the beguiling young witch he stopped to look at her. The noise in the room ceased and the death eaters present couldn't turn away from the lovely muggle-born witch.

Draco could cut the hypocrisy in the room with a knife he thought taking a breath in preparation for the evenings activities.

"SSsssseverusss."

"My Lord, May I present Miss Granger?" The potions master said while bowing to the dark lord.

It was not lost on anyone in the room that the young girl did not need to be wrestled to the ground, she bowed on her own. Well she curtsied, but stayed in a curtsy position with her head down.

The dark lord quirked a brow, "Miss Granger, you may speak. Severusssss, you may rise."

"Thank you My Lord" they said together. Severus stepped back, waved his hand forward (as to let her move in front of him) and nodded for her to begin.

She tipped her head to him and stepped forward, "My Lord, I believe I can be of service to you and your ….supporters. If you would but grant me amnesty, I could make you victorious."

"I'm listening, witch."

"I am creating a potion that would allow for one to become completely invisible with no side effects."

"You think me a fool, then."

"Sir?"

"YOU WILL ADRESS ME AS LORD, GIRL! The disillusionment charm renders my death eaters invisible."

"No, My Lord. The charm you spoke of works only if one doesn't move. As you know there are few wizards powerful enough to cast themselves completely invisible; you and the Headmaster of Hogwarts." She paused and then continued, "Taking my potion in cooperation with the charm will enable every death eater to become invisible, both at rest and in transit." She told him hoping that the mild flattery would help her cause.

After a moment of his silence she spoke again.

"The Order has members that have the sole responsibility of watching for disillusioned magical beings. That is their _only_ job. It is also one of the reasons the Order has been so successful... in the past"

She knew that Lucius and Severus were close to wringing her neck at her revealing this, but it was a measured risk and not completely true… it wasn't their only job.

She knew Voldemort would never guess that she and Draco were the only two who had the keen ability to spot the charm in use and that he would be too tempted by the idea of taking over the ministry like a ghost to dwell on it.

After a silence pregnant with tension the dark lord spoke, "You will take the dark mark."

She paused and then spoke, "I would prefer not to, My Lord. I have school."

He looked at her like she was going to mad.

"You. WILL. Take. The mark."

"No, my lord. I will not." She remained stead fast and could almost hear Severus and Lucius rolling their eyes heavenward wishing she would just concede so they could forego watching him torture her.

No such luck.

Voldemort stood holding the arm of his throne for support at first then bellowed at the stubborn woman, "**CRUCIO**!"

A full minute passed of her writhing on the floor in pain, but not making a sound.

Severus looked at her and made eye contact at one point, however briefly; seeing silent tears course down her cheeks made him want to die right then and there.

He was about the step up, but Draco beat him to it.

"MY LORD, PLEASE!"

It stopped.

"WHAT?! YOU DARE INTERRUPT PUNISHMENT FOR INSOLENCE?????!!!"

"My Lord the screaming" he whined placing his hands over his ears and making a face as one would make listening to nails scratch down a chalkboard, "… and she will go mad. We could use the potion she is brewing." He reasoned.

Draco knew that he would not be punished severely, they all expected him to be a little whiny and he also knew the dark lord had cottoned to the young Malfoy for whatever reason.

Voldemort thought for a moment watching Hermione Granger struggled to stand; impressed that was able to do so.

"You will take the mark, but it will be inconspicuous and small."

She was shocked that the snake person thing was willing to compromise and even thought she noticed his eyebrows…or what were supposed to be eyebrows – raised in question at the suggestion.

She bowed, "Yes My Lord."

A collective sigh of relief was heard through out the room and she noticed the appraising eyes floating down her form, stopping at her breasts, her stomach, the juncture of her thighs, her legs and back up again to her lips. He desired her… or at least appreciated her.

"We should celebrate." Said the dark lord with an evil smile; he murmured a spell and a feeling of warmth covered her body.

She felt happy, but a languid type of happy. She felt like she was floating almost. She turned to look for her team, but as she turned they were by her side.

They took her breath away, both men so large in stature and beautiful in mind. She wanted nothing more than to feel her naked skin against theirs.

She caught Lucius' eyes and was mesmerized; she couldn't look away. He bent his head and imprisoned her lips in a scorching kiss, demanding and tender.

She opened her lips to his prying tongue.

His arms around her waist he was pulling her closer.

She felt heat at her back, both hard and pliant and then more hands on her hips squeezing, pulling her bottom back to rub against his erection.

_Severus_. She thought as she moaned.

Severus grabbed her hair, effectively pulling her head back breaking the heated kiss between her and Lucius and captured her lips with his.

With her head back and her lips locked with Severus, Lucius took advantage of her exposed neck. He trailed kisses and nips down her neck to her ear, to the pulse point where her neck and shoulder meet.

His fingers expertly unclipped her bra and gently slid to caress her bare stomach. Somewhere along the lines her camisoles were removed.

Lucius pulled her bra from her body and stared at her breasts. They were lovely round globes with pink nipples crying to be kissed. So that's what Lucius did, he took one in his mouth.

She moaned in Severus' mouth and he opened his eyes to see his blonde friend suckling a nipple.

Severus grunted and picked Hermione up.

Lucius followed the pair to a table conveniently placed in the middle of the room.

Severus couldn't think straight, but a stray thought questioned if that table had been there before and then it went away as he laid Hermione on top of it.

Severus looked at Lucius exchanging a hooded look that said everything without being spoken aloud.

She was not placed long ways on the table, she was placed sideways so that her head and her feet hung off the table. The only support was from her bum to her shoulders.

Lucius stood between her legs and Severus at her head.

She wanted Severus to kiss her again and reached up getting his attention pulling him down.

He yielded to her and slid his tongue in her mouth letting her suck on it, which caused him to moan and thrust his hips slightly forward.

He placed his large warm hands on her breasts and kissed her passionately, while Lucius removed her shorts…he almost came right there when he discovered she wasn't wearing any knickers and her glistening womanhood was exposed to him.

Lucius didn't want to waste time he dropped down to his knees, placed her feet on his shoulders and licked her from her bum to her clit and back down again.

She yelped into Severus' mouth and bucked her hips in response.

He pulled back to look at her.

Her eyes closed, her mouth open in ecstasy, her arms over her head gripping his thighs making her breasts bob and her stomach expand.

Her legs bent at the knee and placed on Lucius' shoulders. Her knees open and her nether lips held open by Lucius' elegant fingers while his tongue made her scream in pleasure.

Severus looked back down and was caught off guard when his black eye met her hazel ones.

She moved her hands from his thighs to his belt buckle.

Unbuckling his pants and pulling them down so that they dropped to the floor she reached inside his boxers pulling out a very impressive erection.

"Severus…please."

She closed her eyes again as Lucius' ministrations were taking their toll between her legs.

He stepped up and she opened her mouth waiting to taste the essence of Severus.

As soon as she swallowed his penis (or as much of it as she could – he was quite large) she started sucking making him thrust his hips slightly. He had to hold on to the table before he fell over, his legs were weak.

Strangely, as he thrust into her mouth and touched her breasts, her legs fell open wider giving Lucius a better advantage.

Lucius inserted two fingers inside of her and bit down gently on her clit at the same time.

She groaned and ground her hips against his fingers.

The vibration against Severus' large cock in Hermione's mouth while she groaned caused him to thrust faster, but he didn't hurt her.

"Hermione…. I'm …. AHHHH" Severus came and she felt the warm liquid spurt down her throat. She swallowed all of him.

She watched him slouch in a chair and watch as Lucius made her cum with a scream.

"OOHHHHH LUCIUS!!! YEEESSSSSSS!"

As she was screaming Lucius stood pulled out his organ and entered her. He went slowly at first, but soon he grabbed her hips indicating he wanted her to roll over.

She did and was now bent over the table facing Severus.

With each thrust she and Severus never took their eyes off each other, both mesmerized by the other.

She spread her legs farther apart for Lucius.

"Harder Lucius." Severus told the man.

Lucius complied

"Yessssssss, OH Sweet Merlin." She said in response.

The blonde was pounding into her, hitting her cervix and she could feel the pressure building inside of her.

The trio was oblivious to the intruding eyes of the rest of the room. Many of the other death eaters had engaged already in there choice of sexual partners, but none had lasted this long.

Even Draco was done and completely taken with the beautiful and raw scene in front of them.

No one spoke a word nor did they even take a breath loud enough to be heard – no one wanted to be the reason the spell was broken.

***

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Severus, Lucius or Draco a menacing pair of eyes watched from behind a mask.

He had felt the warm feeling also and had taken one of the stable women that entered the room shortly after the spell was cast.

When he came he cleaned himself and went in search of Hermione. He knew she was there.

What he found was Severus shoving his dick down her throat and Lucius eating her like a ripe peach.

_Whore_… he thought. _She didn't even care that he had been captured; didn't know if he was dead or alive._

_He hated her…._

***

"HERMIONE! OHHH!" he yelled

At the same time, "LUCIUS!"

(**A/N:** Please Review and Thanks for reading!)


	10. Wanton Tart

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

The dark lord, satisfied with the evening, stood silently and disapperated with a pop. He was tired and needed his rest.

He was disappointed, after what the Weasley boy said he was hoping the young witch was untouched. He would have gathered the blood dripping from her body and made his potion.

He needed the virgin blood of a powerful witch not of pure blood for the potion that would make him whole again.

He would discuss this with Severus; _maybe the Potions master had … other resources from which to draw._ He thought before sleep took him.

It was custom for dark revels that after the dark lord leaves for the night, the death eaters are free to leave or stay; on this night many of them stayed until Lucius and Hermione climaxed, though everyone would feel the warming effect of the spell until morning, the height of frenzy was over for now.

Lucius, Hermione and Severus walked to the apparition point and landed in Malfoy Manor library. They silently made their way up to the master bedroom, their heads still hazy from the spell; they disrobed mechanically and fell asleep with Hermione comfortably, securely and completely naked in between the two powerful wizards.

Severus woke around 2 a.m.; he turned his head to the left and placed a kiss on her temple causing her to shift in her sleep.

He moved her arm above her head so he could caress her hip, her side and up to pinch her nipple watching it pebble. She moaned.

Lucius had opened his eyes at her movement and turned to face her naked body.

He could smell her and placed his hand to cup her mound finding her wet.

He slid a finger inside her folds and rubbed her swollen nub until she squirmed and moaned again.

Severus had taken a nipple into his mouth to suckle as she arched her back and spread her legs in order to give these men more access to her body.

Severus and Lucius looked at each other through hooded eyes and turned her to face Severus.

She made a sound protesting the removal of Severus' mouth on her breasts and Lucius' fingers inside of her.

She was quickly quieted by a demanding kiss by Severus.

Lucius placed his hands on her hips, and slid them down to her bum and lower to the back of her thighs spreading them in order to run his fingers along her slit to her bum and inside her backside making her tense.

Severus could feel her stiffen in surprise and increased the pressure of his kiss distracting her from Lucius' probing.

The blonde inserted one then two fingers in her back side scissoring inside, stretching her slightly.

She knew what he was doing and wanted this right now. She stopped kissing Severus and moved to straddle him; she wanted to feel him inside her so she slowly impaled herself on him hissing in pleasure the more she engulfed him.

"She's so wet." Severus said through gritted teeth to Lucius.

She looked at the Viking.

"Are you sure?" he whispered and she nodded.

He positioned himself behind her and slid inside of her bottom filling her with pleasure and pain.

Still panting she thrust her hips forward circling slightly and couldn't believe the sensations it caused.

The two men inside of her moaned and moved with her.

They started gently, Lucius reaching around to cup her breasts pulling her against him as he pushed forward; Severus gripping her hips moving her slowly as he thrust up into her center.

"Yes…… YESS!" she yelled throwing her back in passion. She was holding tightly to Lucius' thighs while the trio moved together satisfying each other, breaths mingling as they soared higher to the release that was coming.

***

The next morning Draco found a tangle of body parts and couldn't tell whose was whose. Black hair, Blonde hair, wavy brown hair – everyone had pale skin, small feet painted toes, large thighs with no hair, long feet with long toes….He shook his head.

"AHEM!" he said faking to clear his throat.

Movement.

"AHEM!" Draco did it again.

More movement and a groan.

Hermione slowly started to regain consciousness not wanting to get out of bed, it was so warm and she was so comfortable.

_Why did he keep clearing his throat?_ She thought without opening her eyes.

Then she felt movement beside her and smiled _Severus._ Then she felt movement and a groan from her other side.

***

Draco knew that it would take a few moments before she realized where she was and with whom.

"Three, Two, One…" he counted down

"OHMYGOD!" she sat bolt upright, looked around and then down at herself. She jerked a sheet up to her chin covering her naked form.

"ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod! Wh….What is going on???" she asked panicked.

"Hermie…."

"DON'T YOU SAY A WORD, DRACO!"

"You don't remember?" Lucius asked lying on his back with his hands clasped behind his head giving Hermione a wonderful view of his sculpted chest and stomach.

She paused closing her eyes trying to get the image of a naked Lucius lying next to her out of her head and start thinking about the previous night.

She mentally ticked off 'done' items on last nights checklist in her head:

1) Bow to dark lord check

2) Convince him he needs my help check

3) Get amnesty from rape and beatings check

4) Talk dark lord into smaller mark check

5) Have hot multi-orgasmic sex with both Lucius and Severus check? **NOT!!!**

The men in the room could see and hear the wheels turning in her head and when she got to five - she looked around again then down at herself.

".God."

"Yes, you keep saying that, but what does that mean exactly?" Severus asked a little frustrated at her. _He had a great time, why was she acting so…weird?_

"I…I had sex…albeit really great mind blowing sex, with the two of you! …I ruined EVERYTHING! You probably think I'm some wanton tart." She said miserably accidently dropping the sheet to place her head in her hands.

"First, you dropped the sheet and if your beautiful, delicious nipples remain uncovered I can't be responsible for my actions; Second, no one thinks you're a wanton tart; and…" Lucius told her and had more to say, but was interrupted by Severus.

"And you didn't ruin anything. We certainly weren't in our right minds the lecherous bastard cast a Desire Spell over us. We're lucky no one else tried to participate, it would have been chaos. "

She was covered by the sheet again and looked at Severus in the eyes, pleading.

He knew what she was worried about, "It's ok, Love."

She nodded.

"Besides they love you…. Like **really** love you, but I think you're a wanton tart." Draco said from the doorway with a smirk.

He ducked just in time before the pillow she threw sailed towards his head to hit him.

"HA! You missed, now get up we have a small issue." He said smiling and walked out to let them get dressed.

She blushed at Draco's words and watched as her Dark Angel and one of her Vikings got out of bed without a word and got dressed. She missed the warmth.

She knew they loved her, but Draco made it sound like L.O.V.E kind of love – as she watched both men avoid eye contact with her she smiled to herself, maybe Draco is right.

***

Click. Whoosh.

"ANYBODY HERE?" Ron yelled

Nothing.

He cast a TEMPUS charm and saw that it was 3:30 in the morning.

Remus came rumbling down the stairway and stopped short in surprise, "Did you escape?"

Sirius came around the corner shortly after and bumped into Remus, "What the…? Oh. You're back. Are you harmed? How'd you escape?"

Both men were wide awake now and waiting for Ron to respond.

"A drink; I need a drink." Ron said looking at Sirius.

Sirius was a lot of things, a servant was not one of them, "you know where everything is, have at it." He snapped and sat down still waiting for a response.

Remus just shook his head at Ron's rudeness.

"Well?" Remus asked impatiently.

Ron gulped down a shot of firewhiskey, still feeling the effects of the Desire Spell, though he didn't know what it was.

"Hermione is a traitor. She's getting the dark mark and she's fucking Lucius AND Severus. She is going to help defeat Dumbledor!" He said with a nasty sneer.

Luckily, Sirius, Remus and Tonks already knew about the plan, so didn't react as Ron expected when he accused her of treason.

Sirius smirked when Ron, outraged at the idea, mentioned that they were doing the deed. Sirius had often fantasized about having a threesome with Hermione and Remus.

Remus, surprisingly, was thinking almost the exact same thought as Sirius about a threesome.

Ron waited and poured himself another drink, "You have nothing to say?"

Remus cleared his throat and peered at Ron thoughtfully, "You look well, Ron. What happened exactly when you were held captive?"

Ron paused for a moment, "Harry stunned me and then I was kidnapped; held in a cell. Voldemort HIMSELF came to release me after speaking to me. I sat with him during dinner, Robustus Le'Strange was my guard. There was a meeting tonight…er last night and I saw _her_."

Sirius noticed that Ron seemed a little too proud that Voldemort 'himself' came and spoke to Tweedle Dumber. _Hmmmm something isn't right_.

"What did you and Voldemort speak about exactly, Ron?" Remus asked hoping the boy didn't unnecessarily place the other team in danger.

"Nothing really; I told him about Hermione and me and how she betrayed me."

Sirius growled at the stupid red head, but before he could stand up Ron was in the floo "Hogwarts Headmaster" and he was gone.

***

"What's going on?" she asked pulling up a chair at the kitchen table; she sat gingerly on it.

"Sore?" Draco asked teasing. He couldn't help it. He loved the idea of them together, though he knew Severus would never allow a permanent trinity with all the stops including a magical binding – but he would be amenable to a sexual threesome every once in a while, which would make his father a very happy man.

Severus didn't share well.

She just glared at him and was slowly scooting her chair in, when Severus moved her magically closer to the table and Lucius poured coffee.

"Thanks." She said avoiding eye contact.

"So?" Lucius asked his son.

"Ron floo'd into Grimmauld Place and told everyone there that you were a traitor …and that you were fucking them two." He said casually.

She was standing now glaring at no one in particular, "He is going to pay for that." She said through gritted teeth.

The wizards didn't doubt her.

"There's more." Draco said hesitantly.

They all looked at him, "He also floo'd to Hogwarts and told all the Professors the same thing." He cringed at this – it was one thing to tell people who knew her and knew different, but …

"_All_ the professors?" Lucius asked

"All." He answered.

"I'mgonnakillhim." She whispered and walked out of the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time to get to the library.

She stopped abruptly and turned around knowing that the three of them had followed her immediately, "Was he there last night?" she asked

Severus was taken a back at the thought of Tweedle Dumber attending, but it made sense if he was thinking all of these things.

"Obviously." Draco said receiving a scowl from his father at his sarcasm.

"Why? Wasn't he a prisoner?" she asked slowly as realization dawned on her that Ron was cooperating with the Dark Lord.

"He was there as a death eater." Lucius stated resolutely.

"We need to get to Grimmauld Place, but first I'm sending a Patronus to Tonks to meet us there."

She cast the Patronus charm and a regal Griffin glowed brightly awaiting its message and then flew away.

"When did your patronus change?" Severus asked a little surprised

"About 10 months ago." She said curtly and walked into the floo leaving in green flames.

The three wizards looked at each other after she'd gone; shaking there heads angrily.

"I'm going to kill him too." Draco said

"Get in line, boy." Severus said and stepped into the floo.

***

Hermione stepped through the fireplace to a room full of people. She looked around and smiled when she saw Harry, Sirius and Remus on the couch.

"You look good enough to eat, doll." Sirius said and returned her smile.

When the Dark Angel and the Vikings arrived the two elder scowled in annoyance. Hermione was sitting in between Sirius and Remus with Sirus absent-mindedly stroking bare leg.

She didn't seem to notice either as she was paying attention to Albus speaking about the next plan to obtain 'the item'.

Just then, Harry stood suddenly and ran out of the room.

"Why does he do that?" Remus asked.

Hermione blushed and when she did it dawned on Draco why Harry would run away – he was crying laughing when the boy-who-couldn't-make-it-to-the-toilet-in-time returned.

"Mione, will you please lift the spell? …it's gross." He whispered.

She lifted her wand and pointed it at him, "Infinite cantitatum."

He sighed with relief, "thank you."

The plan was set and the meeting over. She stood and was going to get some food in the kitchen when Severus grabbed her arm.

"Professor?" she asked

He pulled her into a corner and cast a silencing charm, but most of the Order members were absent and the rest were on their way out so it really wasn't necessary, but he did it anyway.

"Why did you let Black touch you?" he hissed

She was dumbfounded, "I didn't…"

"He was caressing your leg." He raged on yanking her arm pulling her body flush with his.

She tried to pull away from him. She was more than a little offended that he would think she would let someone else touch her like that and that he thought she would allow him to just yank her around like a dog on a leash!

"I'm not your possession, stop pulling me about, Professor!" The anger she saw in his eyes suddenly turned to passion and she wanting nothing more than to feel him inside her.

He pushed her deeper into a corner casting a disillusionment charm over them. He pulled her shorts off, tugged his pants down and pulled his erection out.

"You're mine, Hermione." He said menacingly while he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he plunged inside of her. Pounding until she cried out.

"SAY IT!" he commanded

"I'm …. Yours. OH YEESSSSS, please harder."  
"Tell me again" *thrust*

"I'm yours. I'm yours, Severus. I'm yours." She panted

Three more hard thrusts and they shouted together, her thighs tightening around waist.

He looked down at her still clinging to him, legs still wrapped around him, "I love you." He said quietly and set her down so she could right her clothing.

She looked at him again and drew him down for a kiss, "I love you too." She said as she put her forehead on his.

"Now let's go deal with Ron."

(**A/N:** Please Review and Thanks for reading!)


	11. obligations

Hermione just sat there hating the feeling of being judged. _Who cares with whom she had relations? I mean was it really that big of a deal? Was Ron so much more valuable to the cause than she? I bet if Ronald were to shag two women Dumbledores eyes would be twinkling like a disco ball! Instead I must endure his distinctly twinkle-less eyes_.

She was so lost in angry thought she didn't hear or see Draco walk up behind her for moral support. She almost jumped out of her chair when his hands reached her shoulders and started massaging. He chuckled at her reaction and continued to massage.

She turned her head up and around to give him an appreciative smile to which he returned.

"Mr. Malfoy, how do you feel about this situation?" Dumbledore asked Draco

Draco looked at the old wizard, "I think Weasley should be flogged and then watched very closely. He was there not as a prisoner, but as a participant. Both Remus and Sirius said he looked well and seemed to be in good health. He was able to floo here and to Hogwarts within minutes, too short of a period of time to report back to anyone.

I find all those facts curious. It leads me to one conclusion – Ron is cooperating with Voldemort." Draco paused hoping that what he said sunk in, "but instead you sit here giving Hermione looks of disapproval and judgment about something that is none of your business. I mean, why are we focusing on her sex life? Why not focus on mine? It is as relevant as Hermies." He finished.

Hermione was holding back tears; she loved him. She stood now and turned around to hug him fiercely, "Thank you." She said softly.

He looked at her intensely, "Let's go home there is a warm bath with your name on it and a big library waiting for you to pillage its contents."

She laughed and shook her head, "I have to stay and help figure out how to obtain the object and then figure out what to do about Ron."

***

"Mr. Weasely, you have done well. We are lucky Miss Granger revealed her true self, though it is common with most muggle-born witches; spreading their legs for every wizard they come across. Pureblooded witches understand their worth and conduct themselves accordingly. You see that now, don't you Mr. Weasely." The dark lord commented almost casually to the kneeling red head.

"Yes my lord." The young man responded, head bowed.

"You will take the mark." Voldemort stated as if he had just come to the decision right that second.

When Ron didn't respond the dark lord spoke again, "You are not alone Mr. Weasely. There is another." The dark lord bade him to enter.

Truth be told, Voldemort was getting a little tired of having to 'bribe' or negotiate with these young wizards and witches to take the mark. _They should jump at the chance for Merlins sake! _He thought.

As Ron looked on, another red head with rather curly hair plastered to his head using some kind of wizarding gel to keep it from turning into a full blown afro walked in hesitantly.

"Percy…" Ron whispered.

"You understand, Ron. Right? You get it now? I don't want to be poor anymore, I don't want to suffer for the 'greater good' and I don't want to understand why mudbloods have as much magical power as I do." He said the last with a sneer.

"Percy…"

"Take the mark Ron and you will live well; recognized for your talents as opposed to being recognized for your friendships."

Ron nodded in resignation. Voldemort motioned for Robustus to hold the boy down while Percy gave him the mark.

Ron was a little startled when Robustus came to his side; he looked at his brother frightened.

"It hurts Ron. Like nothing else you have experienced, it burns. Robustus is going to make sure you don't move, it's ok."

Robustus moved forward and took hold of the young wizard wishing he was somewhere else.

They were unable to use magic to bind the boy, because it interfered with the magic used in creating the mark.

***

"We may not need to obtain the object." Severus spoke from the corner.

All eyes turned to him as he walked forward out of the shadows. It was daytime and there was plenty of light coming in from the windows, but it just seemed like he was walking out of the shadows… _a dark angel indeed_. She thought with an inner smile.

"Why is that Severus?" This time it was McGonagall who asked.

She was very perceptive and he knew she had an idea of why they no longer needed the object. Severus thought she probably knew 'the who' also.

"Because I am in possession of a more powerful substance." He said deliberately being vague.

It dawned on Lucius just then, to what the dark wizard was referring.

He tensed readying himself to defend Severus when the realization dawned on the two eldest Order members in the room, especially the Transfiguration mistress, Hermione was like her daughter…. Her very smart, favorite student, daughter she never had type of daughter. The blonde groaned inwardly.

"The only thing more powerful than that is first blood freely given, drawn from an innocent witch. How did you…" Dumbledore stopped mid sentence when he realized.

Remus dropped his forehead in his hand, Hermione burned scarlet and Draco left the room to avoid laughing in front of them all.

Sirius and Tonks soon followed slapping Severus on the back in an 'adda boy' fashion before exiting the room and Remus just kept his eyes closed shaking his head.

Hermione swallowed waiting for the inevitable…

"WHAT!???!!!" The old witch yelled. *cringe*

"Miss Granger, I… I am just beside myself with disbelief. What is the meaning of this???" when McGonagall realized that she had lost composure and that her favorite student and –dare she say it- protégé was indeed a grown woman; powerful witch in her own right, she changed her tone to a gentler version.

"Hermione", she said in quiet voice heavy with the Scottish accent that revealed itself when she was upset, "I thought you were waiting for …love, child. Not out of some obligation to the Order."

Hermione was shocked. How could anyone think this about her? Then she paused, of course that's what they thought.

Hermione Granger over-achiever extraordinaire would do everything in her power to ensure victory for the side of the light…but not this time.

"I did wait, professor." She said in a whisper, almost imperceptible.

The old witches eyebrows disappeared under her pointed hat. Her surprised eyes, wide as saucers and not so subtle cut to Severus who, by the way, was looking at Hermione with the same shocked expression.

No one said anything and Hermione felt herself suffocating, "excuse me. I think Draco called my name." she stood so quickly her chair tipped over and she high-tailed it out of there bumping Severus in the shoulder on her way out.

Severus recovered rather quickly and was about to turn tail and leave after her, but Remus and Lucius beat him to it.

"Let us go, Severus." Remus said, but only as a courtesy Lucius was already out the door and down the hall.

Remus walked quickly to the library and found a group of surprised, silent friends looking at the floo like it had offended them.

"Where'd they go?" Remus barked at the room.

Sirius, Tonks and Draco all pointed to the floo. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Remus was already inside yelling "Hermiones Home".

Gone in a whoosh of green flames.

***

Remus arrived to see Lucius sitting on the couch and Hermione pacing and talking. He sighed in relief _at least she was ok_.

If she had been silent or not here they would worry, but since this is how she dealt with most things that were foreign to her -same things caused her stress – they knew she would be ok. They just needed to stay and listen to her because sometimes she asked a real question as opposed to the rhetorical ones she answered herself.

Lucius gave Remus a bored expression and sank down further into the comfort of the couch.

Remus stepped forward and made his way to the kitchen to make some tea when she asked one of those 'real' questions.  
"Would you really think I would surrender something so… private, special, intimate as my virginity for the sake of victory?" she asked the two men halting to look at them properly.

Lucius in all his candor answered first, "Do you want the honest answer or the one I would give a girlfriend if she asked me if she looked fat?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed, "honest, please."

Remus spoke, he felt Lucius was in too close of a proximity to her and would suffer the most from a hex sent his way.

"I think to those who only know you as a no-nonsense witch with a very strong moral compass, one who wishes to save those around her no matter what the personal cost, it would be easy to believe that you would sacrifice your innocence." He said softly

Lucius picked up the explanation, "but to those who know you and understand that you are a kind and loving soul wanting nothing more than for people to love and be loved in return, would never even entertain the idea of obligation in regards to something so precious, Hermie."

Remus was sitting on the couch now at the opposite end of Lucius. He had set out three cups of tea and watched her body language relax as Lucius spoke.

She moved to sit on his lap and lay her feet on Remus, who was all too happy to accept them.

He chuckled, "Though, Miverva seemed pretty unpleasantly surprised at the thought of you and Severus together. I'm sure it gave her a visual she didn't want… ever." Remus said with a smile.

Suddenly Lucius hissed, "We must go now, Hermie."

Remus nodded and stood to leave.

"I have to change, first!" she said and ran into the bedroom while Lucius rolled his eyes dramatically and Remus chuckled.

***

"Where are they?" Draco asked Severus in the hall. They had just entered after standing outside for 10 minutes waiting for Lucius and Hermione.

The doors opened and the tall blonde and young witch entered and bowed when they saw the dark lord.

"Luciussssss, why do you have Miss Granger."

Severus registered surprise at the question; the dark lord didn't ask Severus why she wasn't with him.

"My Lord, Severus allowed me some time with her alone." He walked, pulling Hermione along to Severus and held her hand out to his.

Severus took it and pulled the girl closer to him then glared at Lucius.

"Thank you Severus."

Hermione looked at Draco and rolled her eyes, she hated being a possession.

"Miss Granger, How do you like being shared?" Voldemort asked her with an evil grin.

She didn't answer right away. Instead she just looked at him and posed one of her own.

"Will I be taking the mark tonight, my lord?"

"Indeed. I have a surprise for you my dear."

"Yes my lord?"

"A friend of yours will be assisting with your mark tonight." He said and beckoned the red head come to the front.

Ron Weasely took off his mask and stood in front of the woman who rejected him.

"Mione. It will only hurt for a moment." He turned to his lord waiting for instruction; the dark lord waved him away for a moment.

"Severus, Lucius" he called

"Yes my lord" they said in unison

"You will administer the mark to her inner thigh, near her …well you know." He smiled and continued, "It will react to my call as yours does and I want you to place a tracing charm over it also. Additionally, I want hers to have the same properties as mine. She shall be able to call my death eaters as she needs and by touching the mark, be able to apperate to any one of my safe houses instantly. Is this clear?"

"Yes my lord"

Most everyone in the room was surprised by this ability he was giving her…a muggle born witch. Quite an honor in their circle, even his inner circle did not hold this distinction.

Lucius and Severus were the two death eaters who had crafted and created the dark lords mark on his body, as they were the two that were most powerful and most knowledgeable aside from the dark lord himself, to perform these intricate spells.

An altar appeared in the center of the room.

"Bella please take Miss Granger and prepare her for the ceremony."

The two witches left the room and muggle women were brought in for the death eaters' entertainment until the ceremony.

Lucius, Severus and Draco remained still; watching the doorway their Hermione disappeared out of a minute ago; oblivious to the whoops, laughter and screaming around them.

Draco turned his head as his periphery caught movement from the red head. Ron was currently trying to rape a young woman. She was fighting him and screaming, but he was stronger. Draco's eyes darkened and he looked away.

An hour later Hermione entered the room with Bella trailing after her.

Hermione was surprised Bella never once sneered, spat or called her names during the entire time. In fact, the woman didn't say a word and only sat silently when the house elves came into give Hermione a bath and dress her in a white robe.

Order was called and Hermione was instructed to lie on the altar.

Lucius and Severus walked over and began chanting above her together.

Hermione could feel the power surrounding her. She was levitated and was feeling very detached. She opened her eyes and viewed the scene before her with a mildly panicked sensation.

She was having an out of body experience.

She saw the two wizards standing over her – dark and light – their hands held above her body. She was floating six inches in the air. Her hair was falling down from her head touching the stone of the altar and her eyes were closed.

Dazzling golden ribbons of magic were circling her as they pressed on. Suddenly she was thrown back into her body as it was lowered onto the slab of stone.

Severus stopped chanting and Lucius lowered his voice to a whisper but kept chanting.

Severus parted her robe revealing her bare leg, carefully exposing only what needed to be exposed for the mark.

He pressed the tip of his wand to her inner thigh and she gasped in pain, arching her back. She didn't make a sound other than that.

His wand was pressed to her thigh and his hand lay flat on her stomach. She had a random thought in the midst of the pain that his hand on her stomach was very intimate and wondered if he thought so too. It was also strangely comforting; feeling the warmth of his hand on her belly.

Shortly after he pressed the wand to her leg he was finished.

She was panting a little from the pain, but soon she realized that both her wizards were watching her and she gave them the 'I'm ok' look.

She looked down to the mark and noticed it was a little different than the rest, hers was smaller, of course, but the snake held a flower and it was pink.

She looked at Severus and he smirked.

_Nice touch_ she thought smirking too.

"Miss Granger. Your surprise."

"Yes My lord."

"Mr. Weasely, has been a relative pain in my arse since day one. I suspect that the Order has had a similar experience?"

She smirked again, "Yes my lord"

"He has given himself over to my cause, but I'm having second thoughts. Please show him what we do to traitors, Miss Granger, because he is still a blood traitor as well as an Order traitor."

"Gladly My lord"

Robustus brought a hyperventilating Ron to stand in front of the positively enchanting Hermione Granger.

"Miss Granger." Robustus said in greeting and bowed to her – like a gentleman. He hadn't wanted to bed anything so badly in a while. She was absolutely enticing.

Severus and Lucius had noticed the Le'Strange brothers' eyes darken with lust in the presence of Hermione. They both stepped forward without further thought.

Robustus stepped backward quickly when Malfoy and Snape stepped forward claiming the young witch as their own.

_He would just stay to the back the remainder of the evening_ he thought casually

"Mione? We've been friends since first year. You can't do this." He pleaded.

"Crucio." She whispered and though it was not a loud command, it was effective none the less.

Ron cried out in pain his body trembling under the unfamiliar pain. It stopped just as abruptly.

He panted. Though, she really didn't like hurting anyone, she found this oddly satisfying.

Lucius and Severus looked at each after they noticed the expression on her face during the red heads torture…malice…and pleasure.

_This was troubling…kind of_. Severus thought.

Lucius just thought she looked sexy when she was exacting revenge.

She cast a few other spells that caused him pain and left him in a heap on the floor.

She turned to kneel to the dark lord, "My lord, he could be valuable to your cause if you would but grant him his life tonight. Sometimes he doesn't think… sometimes he can't think." She said kneeling.

The dark lord pondered her words, "Yes Miss Granger. We shall allow him his life tonight. He can follow Robustus around for a while."

Robustus rolled his eyes and dreamed of days without the stupid red head.

"Thank you my lord"

"Miss Granger, Would you consider having tea with me tomorrow. I would appreciate a mentally stimulating conversation with a talented and lovely young witch instead of rusty scheming old wizards." Voldemort asked looking pointedly at Lucius and Severus.

"I would be honored, my lord." She said as her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest.

At this last exchange, Bella stormed out of the hall to the apperation point. Tears streaming out of her eyes at the thought of her being overlooked for a mudblood.

She loved him. She was his most loyal supporter. She had more blood on her hands because of him than any other death eater. How could he do this!!!? This infatuation would not last… she would make sure of it.

She disapperated with a POP.


	12. Tea

_Tangled Webs We Weave_

_(We're starting with Lemons)_

They apparated back to Malfoy Manor.

"Why does he want to have tea with you?" Draco asked again

"My charming personality and award winning smile?" she said smiling her best smile.

This statement earned her two eye-rolls and a chuckle from her team.

"It is strange. He seems very interested in you." Lucius said pouring a glass of firewhiskey for each of them.

"So what do I do?" she asked, though she knew, she just wanted to hear it aloud from someone other than her.

"You go have tea with the …man – snake." Severus said grimacing.

They were sitting absorbed in their own thoughts when she made a face, "ummm…Is the mark supposed to ….ah ….throb?" she asked softly not comfortable with asking a room full of men, suddenly uncertain. _Weird_.

Severus' eyes shot up to meet hers, "What do you mean throb?"

"Throb. You know, pulse, slowly vibrate." She told him feeling warm… and tingly.

Her brow furrowed.

Draco looked at her with narrowed eyes, "you look flushed. Are you feeling ok otherwise?"

Her breath hitched and she tensed for a moment, "Yes." She said sounding breathy.

"If I didn't know any better, if I weren't sitting right here looking at you, I would say that you were shagging someone." Lucius said sitting up getting worried.

She looked at him, softly panting, "It feels like someone is…touching me."

"The trace charm. That is what it was for, to find where you are and spell you remotely." Draco said and then turned to his father, "Would he get any pleasure from it?"

"Only emotional pleasure, like when you give oral sex, it's not actually doing anything for you. It may turn you on because you like the person reacting pleasurably, but it's not going to make you cum." Lucius explained.

"ohmygod." Hermione cried from the couch crossing her legs and closing her eyes.

Watching Hermione in this state was a HUGE turn on for the men in the room. Even Draco, who was gay, but still it was sexy watching her come to climax.

"notgonnahappen. Notgonnahappen. Notgonnahappen." She was chanting now.

"Do you… Do you think a cold shower would help?" she asked them.

"Maybe, but he won't stop until he's brought you…round." Severus said not liking this one bit.

Draco stood abruptly, "I'm going to go find Harry… don't wait up."

"_That's_ who he's been pining after?" Lucius asked surprise registering on his normally stoic face.

Pant. Pant. "They broke up…. ***eyes flutter shut*** for a while, when ***moan*** Harry and Ron started acting weird. ***shift*** Now that Harry's back, they are trying to work things out." ***gasp***

She stood and walked over to Severus, her eyes speaking volumes to him.

She was disrobing as she crossed the room. Her shirt dropped to the floor, her bra on the table.

She reached Severus and stepped out of her jeans. She was wearing a green thong that drove Lucius mad with want. When it registered in his head that she was almost naked he inhaled sharply.

She turned to him and raised her hand for him to take it. She murmured a spell and they were without clothes also.

"Can I have you both?" she asked Severus looking him in the eye.

"Yes, Love." He said.

Lucius kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her cupping both breasts, pinching her nipples causing her to moan and arch, bringing her bottom closer to his erection. He moved one hand down her body caressing her soft skin over her hips to her bottom where he squeezed momentarily before continuing to her crack.

He slid his fingers down her crack and placed some pressure at her tiny hole.

She gasped and whispered "yes".

He kneeled behind her and bit her bum, kissing each globe while his large hands gripped her hips.

He was so hard it was painful, but he was almost salivating at the thought of tasting her. She tasted exquisite.

He kissed the top of her crack and slid his tongue in between. He pulled her cheeks apart and saw the tiny star beckoning him. He bit her again and then plunged right in with his tongue causing her to scream out in pleasure.

He wanted her to bend over, so he pressed her back so that she was closer to Severus. He was now sitting with her bent over him, kissing her and cupping her center. Her juices were running down his hand. His fingers curled inside of her.

His other hand was pinching her nipples.

"Spread your legs for me." Lucius said

She did as told and he inserted a finger inside the star. She moaned and pushed back on it.

He inserted two fingers and started moving in and out slowly, scissoring them. Gently stretching her.

"OHHHH Yessss….. Please."

"Severus I want your mouth on me." she commanded.

She stood straight now, looking down at him. He fell to his knees in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers.

He leaned forward and took her thighs in his hands, bringing his mouth closer to her core.

He finally tore his eyes away from her and enclosed his lips around her swollen nub.

Lucius stood with her and pressed his large erection into her.

She cried out in pleasure/pain and spread her legs farther apart, both for Lucius and Severus who was now sucking and licking at her aggressively.

Lucius was slow to move. Inside a little. Slide out a little. Push in some more. Slide out a little.

He did this until he was in all the way. _She was sooo tight._ He thought.

"I want you both in me." she demanded her voice hoarse.

Lucius withdrew and Severus stood moving them to the fluffy rug in front of the fire.

He layed down and lifted her so she was straddling him. She slowly sank down onto him sighing in satisfaction.

He moaned her name and rocked his hips upwards slightly.

She called to Lucius and leaned down over Severus silently bidding him to continue.

Lucius inserted himself slowly and together with Severus filled the young witch their seed.

They woke a few hours later, sticky and sated, in front of the fire.

She stretched and looked over to her dark angel.

"Stop staring… it's creepy." He said.

She popped her head up on her elbow and looked down on him, "You walked around with billowing robes, scowls and dungeons for 20 years and _**I'm**_ creepy?" she asked incredulously.

Lucius chuckled, "She's got you there, Severus."

She stood smiling and grabbed her clothes.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked.

"Home. To sleep. I have to prepare for tea with the Dark Lord, now if you please." She teased with a haughty you-didn't-get-invited tone.

"Of course My Lady." Severus said and both men bowed as she passed to the floo.

Severus stood suddenly, "You're flooing naked?"

She looked down and smiled. "I'm losing my mind." She said putting clothes on.

"How do you feel?" Lucius asked watching her closely

She thought for a minute, "really good." And floo'd home.

She crawled into bed shortly after her shower and promptly fell asleep.

***

She walked downstairs midmorning to find Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Draco, Harry, Lucius and Severus all sitting at her kitchen table.

"Hey." She said with a smile.

"What are you wearing to tea?" Tonks asked

"This."

The purebloods in the room looked at her. She was wearing dark wash jeans that fit her form perfectly, boot cut with kitten heels. A button down shirt that emphasized her waist and her hair pulled back in a braid.

"You can't wear that." Draco said.

She shot him a glare, "why not?"

"It isn't proper." Sirius said.

"Proper? This is the Dark Lord we're talking about." She pleaded.

"Still….there's protocol; and jeans are not it." Severus said.

Lucius stood and looked at her. He was thinking. With a few complicated wand movements he transfigured her jeans and shirt into something acceptable and very flattering.

She stood wearing a Lavendar summer dress. It was thick silk that formed to her body loosely. The top had tank like sleeves with a V neck, puckering where her full breasts rested, fit over her small waist, down her flat stomach, covering her rounded hips and resembled a pencil skirt falling to just above her knees. Her witches robes were cream colored and were the same length as the dress.

Her hair fell in loose curls stopping just above her waist. Her shoes were plum colored suede peep toes with a slight platform. She wore Amethyst studs in her ears. Silver and Amethyst necklace with a matching bracelet.

She was lovely.

She spun around, "Wow Lucius. You could make a fortune as a fashion consultant."

"He already does." Said Draco.

Their marks started to burn and they apperated directly to the Dark Lord.

Hermione did not bow fully, as her dress did not allow for it, but she bent her head respectfully.

"Ahhh right on time Missssss Granger."

He walked up to her slowly and offered his arm. She smiled and took it letting him lead her.

After minutes of silence and walking, only the sound of her heels clicking on the floor did they enter a cozy room with bookshelves a small sofa and table with the tea already set.

"Please sit." He said motioning to the loveseat.

"You look lovely, Miss Granger. I was half afraid you would wear jeans and a t-shirt." He said smiling.

"Thank you." She laughed a little and thought, _if you only knew._

"My Lord, May I be candid with you?" she asked her tone soft, but lilting.

"Please."

"First, you are taller than I expected." She said not being able to keep her thought from coming out of her mouth. He chuckled in response to her innocent observation.

"And second, you realize I'm muggle born. I have no magic in any of my ancestry." She said finally looking at him.

He looked at her, "I realize Miss Granger. I, myself, am half blood. My father was muggle, as is Severus, but you are very powerful. There is no denying that fact. Your skill, intelligence and sheer magical force make you a worthy opponent and even better suited for an alliance. You are the key to Mr. Potters' success, not anything else. He doesn't have your skill or mental capacity. He is also impulsive, acting without thinking, proven at the Dept. of Mysteries."

"I thought …" she said confused.

"Smartest witch of your age?" he asked condescendingly

After a few moments of reigning in her temper and working through some things, "Power."

"Yes. Purebloods want to hear how …well, pure they are. Greed often clouds logic and peer pressure en masse is very effective. Exclusive clubs and condescension makes for heady mixes and the idea of power over something is hard to pass up. Most people are cowards, Miss Granger – Wizard or muggle. They need someone else to be a 'front' for their deepest desires – fear of rejection prevents many from acting so they need to follow."

She was looking at him with the strangest expression, "What about all the destruction and death?"

"Well even I am subject to my followers desires at times. If I didn't let them wreak havoc occasionally, they would not follow. Make no mistake, Miss Granger; I do not regret my rise to power any more than Albus regrets his. I am not a nice man, nor am I the complete tyrant that my reputation dictates."

"Do you feel regret?"

"No. However, when I take over the ministry there will be order. Our community will flourish. I plan to institute a marriage law for blood mixes so we stop having squibs and low birth rates. Pureblooded witches from old families are unable to have more than one child.

Narcissa Malfoy had three miscarriages before Draco and she was on bed rest for most of the pregnancy. Bella has not been able to have any. She has suffered much."

After a brief silence, "Why am I here?" she asked.

He smiled "I need a queen to rule by my side. I can give you pleasure… like last night. I can give you riches. You may have command of my death eaters, rule over my Manors and have freedom to do what you will. You can even keep Lucius and Severus as lovers. I care not, but in public you will fawn over me."

"Will we marry then? What if I get pregnant?" she asked.

He gave her a knowing look, "Yes, we will marry. I cannot give you children, but Lucius and Severus can and I hope you get pregnant. They will be raised with your love… a mothers' love and whatever their fathers can offer."

"What else?" she asked.

"You drive a hard bargain Miss Granger. You have tea with me three times per week; just you and me. I would like to forge some kind of bond with you on an emotional level."

"You don't feel that is weak?" she asked

"I have never felt a connection with anyone. I feel that you are different than most. I would like to explore that further."

She nodded, "And Hogwarts?"

"Would fall under your purview if you wish." He said and took a sip of tea.

"Would the killing stop? The muggle bashing would end? I would never be called a mudblood again." She said the last as a statement; it was not a question.

"The killing would end. It would take time for the name calling to stop, but with the marriage law I hope to blend the two ideals together. Enough so that our race does not die out, but to your end – it bridges the gap between muggle-born and pureblood. I am a selfish man, Miss Granger. I want to know and be known."

"How do I know you will hold up your end of the bargain?" she asked wondering why he was doing all this.

"A wizard's oath."

"You have made horcruxes, you'll need to do better than that." She said derisively.

He chuckled and took her hands in his as he leaned forward.

They were warm and not repulsive as she would have thought.

"You will help make me whole again." He said quietly, "I cannot do it alone and being separated from the parts of my soul has left me…incomplete, for lack of a better term."

"How is it done?"

"A potion and a spell; very old magic. We will need Severus and Lucius to assist; after ritual is complete – a wizard's oath."

"A wizards oath to hold up your end of the bargain and a wizards oath that you will not create any more horcruxes." She said.

He was going to speak, but she interrupted, "What about those you deem blood traitors?" She asked and sat up straighter as she watched his face become menacing.

"You would defend the Weasely who harmed you? You would keep him alive after what he has committed towards you and your Mr. Potter? Do you know what his next task is…the one he agreed to whole-heartedly?"

"No, My Lord."

"He is to kill Harry Potter."

She gasped, "He agreed?"

***

"Oi Mate!" Ron yelled at his long time friend.

_(__**A/N:**__ Please Review and thanks for reading.)_


	13. Harry

_Tangled Webs We Weave_

Harry

Harry was sitting quietly in the kitchen with Sirius and Remus waiting for Tonks to finish up so they could head down to Diagon Alley for some light shopping and to kill time.

Harry still couldn't believe that Ron would stray so far from light as to betray his two best friends.

Yes he was a little… emotional at times.

Yes he didn't deal well with surprises, especially if they contradicted what he had envisioned.

Case in point, He and Hermione's relationship; it all started fourth year… Viktor Krum. Harry rolled his eyes just remembering Ron's pacing and whining and angry glares directed towards the young Bulgarian seeker.

Harry had noticed the quiet looks between their best friend – who was a girl, he had noticed even if Ron didn't – and the Quidditch star. He was fairly certain when Hermione had said she was tutoring someone that that 'someone' was Viktor Krum – she was much too happy when she left to go 'tutor' almost skipping out of the common room, but he didn't say anything. It was for her to spill the beans not him, besides he had enough on his mind that year with the tournament, asking a girl to the ball, albeit not the one he wanted, but still… and just trying to avoid the spotlight. Fat lot of good that did.

Then Ron decided it was time to ask her to the ball, but only because his brother pushed him, otherwise he wouldn't have, but instead of just asking like a normal person, he frames it like he is doing her a favor, what an idiot. He had never before wanted to smack Ron as much as he had right then, what a git…and in Potions class no less!

_We got in trouble with Snape that day._ Harry smiled to himself.

Snape turned out to be a knight in shining armor to the entire Order. Harry was shocked when he found out and was even more shocked when Hermione didn't go around the house singing the I-told-you-so song for days, her gloating only lasted an hour…tops.

Ron still hasn't accepted Snape or the Malfoys. Harry shook his head, _what is wrong with him_?

He thought about Ron for a moment.

Ron's entire family has been in the fight since the first war, Molly and Arthur act without fear when faced with darkness. Ron seemed to be this way too, but then he started whining about Harry getting all the attention and how he was just a sidekick.

He started talking about Hermione like she wasn't useful and how they should just 'go it alone'. Luckily, Ginny had been the voice of reason there, scolding both Ron and Him for even thinking about leaving the smart brunette at home. Listing off each time Hermione had either gotten them through a particularly difficult obstacle or saved their arses… and ended with 'and this is how you treat her?'.

It was true, Hermione deserved better friends.

Ginny… He had really screwed that situation up. She was all he wanted. She was smart and pretty, kind and loving and she only had eyes for him. After months of on again off again emotional roller coaster, she left without a word.

He woke up one morning and she was gone. It's not like he couldn't just commit to her, he just didn't want to make a decision. He had taken so much from her, including her innocence and had never acknowledged how precious that was or how important the relationship was to her. He was an arse to her for no good reason and she left.

She left a note on his dresser that read: _Harry, I can't do this anymore. Be safe. Always, Ginny_

He missed her tremendously.

Once they joined the Order and were full members, the Golden Trio were sent on missions together – it was only natural. The first few were fine; they were successful; the three accomplishing what they set out to do. But after a while Ron just kept getting angrier and angrier at Hermione and the tension skyrocketed. It's not like she said anything to provoke him or even acknowledged the anger, she was just Hermione.

Here's the funny thing, in Ron's mind Hermione was/is his, but he's never actually asked her out on a date or given any indication (other than possessiveness) that he liked her as anything other than a friend and even that was tenuous. More often than not, he acted like he didn't like her at all.

He stared at her constantly, watching every move she made. Sirius even asked him once when he was going to make a move, joking that he better do it soon before some other wizard comes along and takes her.

Ron had blown up. It took weeks for him to come around again.

He smirked to himself, during their seventh year, in the heat of battle, Ron said something about saving house elves and Hermione was so taken with the moment that she jumped into his arms and kissed him. He remembers thinking, FINALLY!

But Ron didn't respond to her, he was in shock and when she realized he hadn't responded she stopped kissing him and backed away embarrassed. She laughed it off saying that she was just a silly emotional girl and got back to collecting Basilisk fangs.

Ron didn't speak to her for a month.

He just kept telling Harry that she didn't give him enough time to respond and that he was surprised and how warm her lips were and how soft her body was against his. Ron was mad at himself and he took it out on her.

She was heartbroken.

But Harry had sided with Ron telling her that she surprised him and then didn't give him enough time to absorb what was happening. _I'm an idiot_.

He remembered *_ shamefully*_ about the trip to Bulgaria. Ron was already riled up just because we were in the same country as _**him**__._ Ron had these delusions that Hermione would just get up and walk to Viktors house for a quick shag.

It's a ridiculous thought in hind sight, but he had fallen for it. Ron had completely convinced him that Hermione deserved to be punished and that her best friends should be the ones to do it.

At first they were just nagging her about how she should get back with Ron, give their relationship a chance to grow. Even telling her she should loosen up a little, enjoy life…right; like she was going to be able to enjoy life caring for Ron.

He even told her how she was lucky that Ron was interested, that not many wizards were going to be interested in a muggle born witch that keeps her nose in a book and doesn't watch her weight or try to look pretty for them.

He had regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth. Hermione was beautiful, inside and out. She had grown into a very striking woman and it was really only first and second year that she was less than attractive.

He hated himself for telling her those things. Of course, after that things really got out of hand with all the liquor they drank….

_I can't believe we almost_… he shuddered.

He didn't deserve her forgiveness and certainly not her continued friendship. As if that wasn't enough, he had hit her. HIT HER! What the hell was he thinking? He wasn't thinking that she was a girl…or their friend. He was thinking that she had somehow betrayed him, had cut ties with the people who had befriended her that first year. He was thinking if it weren't for them she would have no friends.

_I am an idiot._

The rest of the Weasely family, Ginny, the twins seem to be on board and don't seem to discriminate with regards on who to befriend as long as they aren't wearing the dark mark, however even then, it's case by case. They seem to be fine with Snape and the Malfoys… and now Hermione.

Hermione… she was one of a kind. Bossy, kind, gorgeous, humble, courageous, brilliant, motivated, compassionate – to a fault and the best friend anyone could ever have.

He sighed. _I really need to make sure she knows how much I love her_.

"Harry?"

"Huh? What?" Harry asked jarred out of his reverie.

"Ready mate?" Sirius said standing at the kitchen door.

Harry looked around and noticed he was the only one sitting at the table now and Remus, Sirius and Tonks were smiling at him from the hallway waiting patiently. He hopped up from the table, "Yeah, let's go."

***

When the group reached Diagon Alley, they split up and agreed to meet at the Leaky Cauldron for a mid afternoon drink.

Harry convinced Sirius to walk down Knockturn Alley with him, he wanted to buy Hermione a couple of book in the dark arts, one of them a potions book Snape told him she was interested in purchasing.

Sirius just smirked and agreed that Hermione would love some more books focused on the darker nature of things – she not only wanted to make sure she was prepared for battle and knowing your enemy is key, but she just had a general fascination with all aspects of magic.

Harry had made his purchases and called to Sirius that he would be waiting outside. Sirius was inside buying a book on animagi, even though the man knew everything there was to know about the subject, the witch at the counter was quite pretty and he wasn't done chatting her up.

Harry just smiled and walked out the door.

"Oi! Mate!"

Harry turned his head to find a tall smiling red head coming his way…Ron.

***

Hermione regained control of her breathing and looked at her host, "I am going to admit something to you that I have never admitted to anyone…ever."

He looked intrigued and leaned forward.

"I have no idea what to do right now." She said

He laughed and sat back, "All you have to do is say the word Miss Granger and I will keep Mr. Weasely from completing his task."

"I can't answer you right now, My Lord. I need time to think this through, surely you knew this already about me." she said with a smile tugging the corners of her lips hoping against everything holy that he couldn't hear her heart pounding inside of her chest.

"Indeed, Miss Granger. You have three days."

"And Harry?"

He looked at her, his expression unreadable; he pulled out his wand and leaned forward.

She inhaled sharply, but recovered quickly.

His warm hands touched her knees and pulled them gently apart – she stiffened slightly, worried about his motives.

He smiled at her, "Relax Miss Granger, I am a gentleman; I have never raped a woman and don't plan to start now."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and let her knees part at his urging. He slowly slid her skirt up to mid thigh and placed his wand on her mark just under her the fabric.

She felt a tingling sensation – not sexual, just tingling on the mark itself. She heard him say Ron's name and then the tingling ended.

He pulled her skirt back down and pushed her knees together, returning her to the state she was in before.

***

Harry was preparing for an argument when Ron's smile fell and he cursed disapperating in a swirl of black smoke.

Harry couldn't believe his eyes.

"What the …" Sirius said startling Harry. He hadn't heard his Godfather come up beside him.

"Did he just…?"

"Yes."

***

"Why are you doing this for me, My Lord?...I mean why me?" she asked more relaxed now knowing that Harry was safe for the time being and that she wasn't being raped by the dark lord himself.

He chuckled, "You mean aside from the way you look?"

She actually blushed at his question, which he found…endearing. This was all very strange to him.

"Yes, My Lord."

"You are strong, intelligent and talented. Your youth is something I am attracted to as well. There is also something else, but I cannot share that with you at this time."

"Why not?" she asked curiosity getting the best of her.

He looked at her for a moment, she thought he was getting angry, but when he spoke next his voice was passive, "because I am uncertain of it myself."

She nodded and looked at him again, "My Lord, I must go. I have potions homework and as you know, my mentor is quite strict."

He smiled at her and nodded his head.

She surprised him again, "Same time next week?"

"Yes, I would like that very much."

She curtsied and walked out into the hallway. Robustus Le'Strange was waiting for her.

"My Lady." He offered her his arm and she took it.

He wasn't as tall as the Professor, Lucius, Draco… or the Dark Lord. He was just an inch or two taller than she; currently she looked taller than he did as she was wearing high heels.

As they walked down the hallway, "Miss Granger, how was your tea with our Lord?"

She looked at him with a leery eye, "It was very nice. Thank you for asking."

"Will you do me the honor of dinner tonight?" he blurted, surprising himself; usually his instinct for self-preservation was very strong. Today, it seemed, was different, it was her.

She tried not to reflect the shock she felt at his proposal, "I'm flattered, but I don't think it wise Lord Le'Strange." She said hoping he would drop it.

She did pick up the pace a little, praying her wizards were still there waiting for her.

"Please, call me Robustus. May I ask another question, then?"

She nodded and smiled

"What is wrong with Mr. Weasely?"

This made her laugh out loud, which made his heart beat a bit faster.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, but I have been asking myself that same question for years. If you do figure it out, will you let me know?" she asked.

He returned her smile, "I will indeed. Though, there is something you should know…" he held her back for a moment. They had reached the grand hall and waiting for her were the Vikings and the dark angel. They stood immediately upon seeing her, but didn't make a move seeing who she was with.

"Yes?"

"You know what goes on here during some of the revels, correct? …women…" his brows raised in question.

She nodded her brow furrowing.

"The dark lord has a stable of women. Mr. Weasely is allowed access and every time he takes advantage of that particular amenity, the girls he picks always closely resemble you. He speaks of you constantly." He paused, "I believe he is very much in love with you, which makes him dangerous." He said not really understanding why he was concerned for the mudb… muggle born witch – he corrected in his mind.

"Thank you." She said for some reason she felt bad for him; so she did something neither of them were prepared for in the least; she hugged him.

He was suddenly very conscious of his body and her warmth. He patted her back awkwardly and pulled away.

He saw out of the corner of his eye, three tall, intimidating wizards approaching them. He bowed to the young witch, turned on his heel and left before the three arrived.

***

Loud sigh.

Fidget-y pacing.

"Draco, will you sit. You are driving me mad." Severus told the younger Malfoy.

"I can't. How long does it take to drink a cup of tea?" he whined.

Lucius rolled his eyes at his son.

Draco flopped down on the seat next to his father, who handed him a tumbler of firewhiskey.

Just as Lucius put his back to rest and shut his eyes for a moment they heard the faint click-clacking of heels coming closer.

When the duo emerged from the dark hallway, Draco, Lucius and Severus stood.

"Who is she with?" Draco asked quietly.

"Robustus" both older wizards said in unison with dread in their voices.

The three watched for a moment while their witch listened to Robustus. They watched her face change from interest to trepidation to sympathy and then she hugged him.

Severus couldn't take it anymore he started walking towards his witch planning on giving Robustus a lesson in propriety, but the man noticed they were approaching and left in haste.

"Well? How did it go?" Draco asked excitement in his voice. His face beaming like a little kid in a candy store; she almost expected him to jump up and down clapping.

She smiled at the three, relieved to see them.

"He wants to marry me."

"Robustus?" Draco asked scrunching up his face at the thought.

"No. The Dark Lord." And with that she took their hands and apperated them to Prince Manor.

_(__**A/N:**__Please Review__ and thanks for reading.)_


	14. Ron

_Tangled Webs We Weave_

(A/N: short chapter)

The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved.

Ron

I'm neither a megalomaniac nor am I a narcissist; I am self serving. I freely admit this fact. I have five brothers, all older and smarter if you ask my parents.

There is my sister… the jewel of the Weasely family. She can do no wrong; just ask her or my mum.

I don't feel bitter towards her … I don't feel anything towards her actually. No brotherly protectiveness, no kind of fondness for her. It's cool that she plays Quidditch professionally, but other than her getting me free tickets, I don't care who or what she does.

I wasn't upset when she left. She was always around us. Harry this and Harry that. She followed him around like a puppy.

I tried to talk some sense to him claiming voldemort would hurt her if he knew and how she really couldn't help us, but he still wanted her. It was annoying; so I told her that he was in love with someone else and that he didn't want to hurt her feelings; she left after that, didn't even say good bye to Harry.

Harry… it was cool when we were kids – fighting trolls, finding snakes, running from escaped convicts, but ever since he figured out a way to slip his name into the goblet of fire he's been unbearable to be around. It's like he woke up one day and thought he didn't need me around anymore. He wanted all of the fame – the-boy-who-lived my arse. He was lucky.

He's never done anything alone, always with me at his side, except when I left them seventh year, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

Hey! I went back, even rescued him from drowning.

I think he wanted Hermione to himself. He liked having her to himself.

That Bint! She chose Harry over me that year. I told her to come with me, but she didn't – she stayed.

Even before that, our fourth year, she chose someone else over me – that Viktor Krum. UGH! If she would have just waited I would have asked her. I was even in the process of asking her when we got into trouble with that greasy git.

I've loved her for years and she has never returned my feelings. She kissed me once, but I wasn't ready – and then she stopped. She needed to give me more time to react properly. I hated how she just took it upon herself to kiss me when I least expected it. I was so cross with her. I couldn't even look at her for a month; if it wasn't for mums constant nagging I would have prolonged the silent treatment.

*he sighs*

Hermione… I have to admit – when she kissed me I couldn't believe how right she felt. Her warm lips pressed to mine, her little body against mine.

Harry doesn't know, but I asked her out after that month. She said yes and we went for a picnic around the black lake. She packed it of course, that was girl stuff.

We talked and held hands, it was just as I imagined – we were going to give it a go.

The very next day I went to break up with Jenna. She worked at café in Hogsmeade, but things got out of hand and I ended up banging her against the wall in the ladies room. We forgot to lock the door and who walks in? Hermione and Ginny.

Well that didn't go so well, so after I finished up I ran after them. She told me she was done and that we could be friends, but that was it. I tried to kiss her, but she slapped me. I was so angry, she was lucky Ginny was with her and that Dean and Seamus were in sight or I would have taught her a quick lesson on how not treat your wizard.

I still loved her though. She just wouldn't give me the time of day… it made me angry. Who the bloody hell was she to deny me? She went out with Viktor Krum - I saw him kiss her. She doesn't know of course, but I saw it. They were out on the balcony and he was talking to her, she was smiling. He must have said something wrong that made her laugh at him, but she put her hand on his shoulder while she laughing… she has a nice laugh… and he stepped forward.

He wrapped a big clumsy arm around her and pulled her to him – it looked like she didn't want to at first. I would have stepped in, but I wanted to see what she was going to do first.

They were kissing for a long time before Snape came out and interrupted them.

Then she followed him! I bet she shagged him, that bint.

A few years later after we joined the Order, which by the way was a joke – they all just oooohed and awwwwwed about Harry joining and taking the oath; Hermione was next and McGonagall said she hadn't seen a wizards oath grow brighter than Hermione's did that night. She got hugs all around and told how valuable she was the Order and how happy they were that she was on their side. Then I took the oath and all I got was claps and dad hugged me briefly.

We went on missions together and it started out great, but then Hermione started getting in the way. I told Harry but he wouldn't listen.

Finally, we were sent to Bulgaria. I knew Hermione was just waiting for us to fall asleep or for the mission to be over so she could stay and go blow Viktor. It got tense when Harry brought out the liquor, which stick-in-the-mud Hermione didn't drink.

I don't remember everything, but Hermione was almost undressed saying something about she had never done this before… he didn't believe her – he knew she was no virgin. He thought she said that to all the wizards she shagged… like a little game, you know?

It ended abruptly as Harry heard something from the death eaters we were watching, so we had to stop. By the time I turned around she was dressed and hugging Tonks.

Remus just looked around with a stupid expression on his face as usual.

Hermione almost never alone, if it wasn't Tonks it was someone else. The one time in recent history she has been alone I tried to tell her how much I miss her, but she just backed against the wall and told me that I screwed up.

I slapped her, but she deserved it.

Which brings me here – I was kidnapped from a relatively nice night, with the exception that Harry stunned me when he was in one of his 'poor me' moods. Walden MacNair. He is just gross. He makes Filch look clean and tidy.

…but the Dark Lord was surprisingly pleasant. He sees the value in me and not who my friends are.

He has let me shadow Robustus. He is one cool bloke. Never gets in my way, leaves me alone to have any girl I want, almost never scolds me… only when I in danger to get hurt.

He was there for me when Hermione shagged both of _them_… at once. WHORE!

I wanted to kill someone… although, at the time it was all I could do to keep from coming, she was so… so… so lovely.

Robustus let me take one of the girls from the stable – she looked like Mione. I did to her everything I wanted to do to Hermione. It was very satisfying. I haven't seen her since, I wonder what Robustus did to her.

I told everyone in the Order that she was a traitorous whore.

Though… I miss her still. I would forgive her if she would be mine and only mine.

I had to get the mark. Percy gave it to me.

I kinda new about Percy, he was like me, not wanting to be poor with second hand clothes and just one of the Weasely's, but he hasn't really spoken to me since.

…The dark lord said I needed to do this for him, that I was the only one he could rely on – he said I would be amply rewarded for my efforts, even asked me if I agreed to accept the mission.

Of course!

OH! There he is, "OI MATE!" _Smile Ron Smile and wave_.

A quick Avada when he gets near should do the trick.

_HHHHIIIISSSSSSSS – my arm… must go._

Ron looks up and salute Harry then disappears in a swirl of smoke, leaving both Harry and Sirius shocked.

(_**A/N:**__Please Review__ and thanks for reading.)_


	15. NO BITING

_The Tangled Webs We Weave_

They sat around Tonks' kitchen mulling over what to do next. Hermione wanted to laugh, in another life, on another planet, in another time this would be hilarious, but in this life, on this planet, in this time it was puzzling, at best and terrifying at worst.

"Ok let's weigh the pros and cons." Tonks said to the group; of course they all looked at her like she was mad, but agreed anyway. You know it was a very Hermione-like thing to suggest.

Draco started, by writing in the air with his wand. The words glowed a bright yellow color, "So… Pro's…"

"Hogwarts remains untouched." Harry said. Draco nodded and wrote it down.

"You stay alive, without fear of being kidnapped and tortured." Sirius told Harry.

Draco put it down as a con first, but after Hermione smacked him on the back of the head he moved it to the 'Pros'. Lucius and Severus chuckled.

"He plans to implement a marriage law in order to reduce the number of squib births, dilute pure blood preventing other diseases and defects and boost the wizarding population… though I don't know the particulars, I think that can be both a pro and a con." Hermione said to the group.

"Write that off to the side, Draco. We'll put together a list of questions for Hermione to owl and see if he responds." Remus suggested.

Draco nodded and wrote it off to the side.

"He wants to establish more stability within the ministry… again this could be both a pro and a con. We need to understand his intentions better." Sirius said.

"It would be good if you assumed partial control of the Wizengot. We could write a few beneficial laws – like ones for half-beings." Tonks said looking at Remus as she spoke.

He smiled at her and winked.

Her heart sped up and her belly flip flopped.

"Did it get hot in here suddenly?" Lucius said smirking as he caught the exchange.

Draco snorted and wrote Wizengot comment to the side under the marriage law.

"Muggle born killing would end." Severus said quietly.

"Definitely a pro." Draco said and wrote it under the pros.

After a few minutes of silence, Severus said, "Ok Cons the first one being Hermione must marry him." he said maliciously. He did not like that idea in the least.

Draco wrote it down with a scowl on his face, he didn't like that idea either, even if she were allowed lovers, Severus and his father would never be happy with that.

"We don't know how he would punish people when they broke the law. We don't know what torture would occur. We don't even know if he is telling you the truth, Hermione. He could kill you the moment you said _I do_ and then we'd all be screwed." Remus said a little put out.

Hermione suddenly made kissing noises and her little gray owl came swooping in dropping a field mouse in front of her then preened proudly at providing food for 'mama'.

Almost everyone on the table scrunched up their faces, but not Hermione. She smiled and grabbed her squirt bottle full of water (she carried it everywhere) and misted the little owl with water. He loved that; it was a mobile bird bath.

"Good boy, Chauncey. You gave mama a mousey." She said in her deep baby talk voice. The owl hooted in response and waited patiently for her to attach the parchment to his leg.

She gave him a treat and said, "Surrey Crossing, Lord Voldemort."

The owl hesitated, he wasn't dumb, and raised his feathers looking a bit distressed at the thought of having to fly into the lions cave, if you will.

"It's ok Chauncey, you'll be safe. Just fly in and zoom right back out, ok?"

Hoot! Hoot!

"You treat that bird like a human." Lucius said with a smirk, he understood though, he treated his own owl, Zeus, like royalty, but he silently thanked Merlin that the owl didn't feel the need to provide sustenance to him.

Severus looked up cautiously at Raucus, his crow. That bird rarely did what it was told and was always getting into things he wasn't supposed to. The only person the mean bird cared to not peck or anger was his master, Severus. Many thought they shared a personality.

Severus made a sound and Raucus came careening onto the table with a skid.

He looked around at the group, "CAW!" and hopped to Severus who smiled at the bird, handing it a treat.

"You think I spoil Chauncey?" Hermione said sarcastically, "Seriously?"

Lucius laughed he knew Raucus was a pain in the arse, truth be told if that bird hadn't departed soon after Severus gave it the treat, most of the household sitting at the table would have left for fear of being pooped on.

***

Chauncey was almost there, "_just fly in and zoom right out_" was what mama said, but the castle looked scary. He found a window and just started tapping.

After what seemed like hours (really only 15 minutes) a very pretty brunette came to the window.

"What have we here, little birdy. Come to mama. You're small enough to eat... I think my Helga is hungry." Bella said in a sticky sweet voice making kissy noises. 'Helga' came sauntering around the corner at the mention of her name. She was a large feline, gray in color. When she saw the little owl on the window seal she licked her lips in anticipation.

Most familiars can understand the intent of their masters, but not the words.

Chauncey was special; he understood most of what was said by everyone. Lucius and Severus had given Chauncey to Hermione a few months ago. They had performed an enhancement spell on him giving him higher cognitive thinking capabilities.

He could communicate with not only his Miss, but with her wizards and their owls Juno (Draco's owl), Raucus and Zeus. Though, he couldn't communicate with Crookshanks, but that was ok because Crookshanks wasn't very nice and would often swipe at Chauncey, scratching him.

So even though this pretty witch was speaking softly to him, he knew that she meant him harm. He dropped the letter and hooted as a scolding then flew out the window.

If Chauncey could wipe his brow he would have, he flew as fast as his little wings could carry him back to his Miss.

***

Bella took the letter to her lord not knowing who it was from, and even if she did, she would deliver it out of fear of retribution.

She tapped on his library door, "My Lord." She said entering the warm, quiet room.

"Bella – please sit. Would you like some tea?" Voldemort asked her.

"Thank you, yes." She replied with a demure smile.

"Pour me some also." He said which made her scowl, but she poured herself and him some tea then handed it to him.

"What brings you to my humble abode?" he asked without looking at her.

"You have a correspondence, my lord." She said as she handed the rolled parchment to him.

He looked at the seal and smiled.

She had never seen him smile without malevolence, it was a strange occurrence. She wondered off hand who the letter was from to make her lord smile like this.

_My Lord,_

_Forgive my intrusion on your afternoon, but I have some questions regarding your proposal. Would you do me the honor of walking with me this evening in your garden and entertaining my questions?_

_Respectfully Yours,_

_Hermione_

The dark lord quickly wrote his response and called for his owl. It was black and looked foreboding, but it did not have any higher cognitive abilities than the average owl used in the wizarding world.

After the letter was sent, he thought about how his evening had improved. His reverie was interrupted by the dark haired beauty sitting to his left, "My lord, may I ask a question?"

_Females and their questions_ he thought with an eye roll.

"Yes Bella, what is it?"

"Some say you mean to take a bride." She said quietly.

He looked at her waiting for the question, "Is that the question?"

"Some say you mean to take the mudblood as a bride. Is this true, my lord?" she said now kneeling at his feet.

He looked at her, she was quite beautiful. He decided to engage her before Hermione got here. It would relieve the tension.

"Bella, stand up and take off your clothes, slowly."

She did, and her breath caught; she knew that tone of voice.

When she was naked, "Turn around and bend over."

_Oh he was in that mood,_ which only meant sure humiliation and debauchery for her. She sighed and tried to think of some place nice while she felt his cold hands on her nether parts. She would try not to cringe.

***

Chauncey flew in at top speed, but couldn't stop in time to prevent a collision between himself and the tall dark wizard after whom his mistress was swooning.

Severus was not expecting a little gray owl, flying in faster than a muggle airplane, to come plowing into his chest causing him to not only spill his tea, but set off Raucus too.

The black bird came swooping down – it was very possessive of Severus- landing in front of where the little Gray bird was dropped after Severus backed up to prevent hot tea from spilling on his lap.

Before anyone knew what was happening Raucus cawed loudly at Chauncey and then it started.

Hooting and cawing, hopping and wings fluttering; it was comical until Raucus started snapping at Chauncey and that is when Hermione decided it was time to stop.

"RAUCUS! NO BITING!" she yelled at the mean bird.

The birds stopped and everyone looked at her in shock, "How did you get that bird to listen to you? He doesn't listen to anyone except Snape here even when you scream at him." Harry asked.

"Raucus and I have an understanding, don't we Raucus?" she asked looking at the bird with an evil glint in her eye.

Apparently, Raucus was feeling froggy today, because he looked at her then hopped to stand in front of his master and huffed – as if to say _you won't do anything while master is here._

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She said menacingly to the bird.

All of a sudden Severus was bombarded with flashes of pictures in his mind,

_Hermione yelling at Raucus, him flying into the rafters_.

_Hermione trying to hex Raucus and her missing, then Raucus laughing_.

_Hermione in a huff. _

_Hermione boiling a pot of water, the muggle way._

Severus gasped, "You threatened Raucus?" he asked incredulously.

Several chuckles, snorts and barely restrained laughter were heard around the table.

Hermione just kept staring at the bird with her wand drawn, "It wasn't a threat, Professor."

After the bird snapped at Chauncey again, Hermione looked at Severus, "You better control that bird, Professor, or he is going to end up **on** the table **as** Christmas dinner." With that she coo'd at Chauncey and walked to the loo.

Severus grimaced at her parting words and jerked his head towards the window indicating Raucus should leave now. The bird hopped to Severus, huffed and flew out the window almost running into a Giant Black Eagle Owl coming the opposite direction.

It landed on the table silently, its graceful wings spread for a soft landing. It hooted loudly and looked around.

Hermione walked back in, "What is that?"

"Hara. His Owl." Lucius said scowling.

The large bird tapped her foot impatiently and snapped at Hermione when she tried to untie the parchment.

"Wait you silly bird." Hermione said exasperated with testy animals today.

"OWWW! She bit me!" Hermione yelped in pain then turned around and flicked the bird on the beak with her thumb and forefinger, "Quit that or no treat!"

The bird stopped immediately and Severus and Lucius watched in shock as Hermione assaulted yet another bird.

She successfully untied the parchment after the third try and gave the big bird a treat. She watched it fly away before she opened the letter.

_Miss Granger,_

_I would love the opportunity to speak with you again, questions or no. I will expect you for a walk and dinner at 6:30pm._

_Tom_

She handed it to Lucius who read it aloud.

"So you have a date?" Draco said

"I don't like this, Hermione." Severus said.

"Would the ceremony bringing his soul back together make him more powerful?" Hermione asked

"It would make him human. It would make him more aware of his surrounding, but his power would not increase or decrease." Severus told his young witch.

"What would the ceremony require of me?" she asked again.

"Blood." Lucius said.

"Would we be …connected at all afterwards?"

"Not if he's dead." Draco said.

"But we would be if he lived?"

"Possibly. We don't know. While you're away this evening we'll do some research, surely the Malfoy Manor library will have some books covering the soul reunification?" Severus asked looking at Lucius.

"I would imagine so, if we don't certainly the Black library would."

"Lucius, I need you to… you know, dress me." she said holding her hands out to her sides and turning around.

"…but first I need to shower – so we need to go back to Prince Manor." She said looking at Severus.

She gave the other team a hug and walked into Severus' awaiting arms. They didn't need to do a side-along apperation, but she wanted to feel his warmth around her.

POP!

He was kissing her the minute they popped into the living area. He picked her up and walked her to the bedroom, never taking his lips off of hers.

"I love you Hermione, I don't want you to marry him…. or anyone else." He whispered and before she could speak his lips were on hers, his tongue dueling with hers, his hands everywhere at once, touching, feeling, and pressing her hips against his erection.

He moaned wanting to feel her surround him like a warm, wet glove.

He murmured something and suddenly she felt his warm skin. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, her arms on his shoulders kneading the flexed muscles used in pulling her closer, his arms around her waist his hand pressing the top of her bum and moving lower.

"I need to feel you Mia, please." He rasped.

She nodded.

He laid her on the bed and entered her in one fluid motion causing her to gasp and wrap her legs around his waist.

"You're so tight… oh you feel like heaven…" he whispered.

He was biting her neck and shoulder. One hand tangled in her hair, the other hand pressing against her bum matching the rhythm of his thrusts bringing him deeper inside of her.

Their frenzied need for each other encouraged him to pump faster spurred on by her cries of pleasure, for 'more' and 'harder'.

He felt her stiffen and grip his shoulder tightly; she pulsed around him, milking him of his seed. They lay there panting- him not wanting to let her go; her holding on for dear life.

They were in a somber mood when they floo'd to Malfoy Manor.

"What's wrong with you two?" Draco asked.

"Hermie?" Draco said softly when no one answered his original question.

She looked up at him and had tears welling in her eyes, "I just feel like we've all made up our minds that I have to do this. Like this meeting is just a formality. But I DON'T WANT to marry him. I DON'T WANT to have sex with him for the sake of humanity." She sniffed.

"I know it's the right thing to do, but I don't want to. I don't want to fight anymore; I don't want to assault birds anymore. I just want to… you know, read and lead a life of … of….I don't know!" she yelled on the verge of tears.

Draco wrapped her in a hug, "No one has made up their mind Hermie. And no one wants you to marry him either. We can find another way." He soothed.

She nodded into his shoulder and then looked up and saw that Severus and Lucius were looking at her with matching unreadable expressions on their faces.

"I know. I'm being a baby." She said to them as she sagged in defeat.

"No. I wouldn't want to marry him either. And if you want to sit around and do nothing for the rest of your life – because you've earned it- you can. You can live here or I'm sure the resident at Prince Manor will house you also, but don't feel like you have to wed and bed the evil wizard because it's for the greater good. Draco is right, we'll find another way." Lucius said.

"Really?" she peeped.

"Yes, but you must stop assaulting birds… crows in particular." Severus said with a hint of a smile.

She laughed, "I have to tell him." Severus and Lucius were visibly relieved to hear that she did **not** in fact want to marry the evilest wizard known to man.

They wanted her all to themselves.

"He won't be pleased. He could kill you." Draco said casually, which was odd.

At that point, Harry walked through the floo and into Dracos' arms, "She's not going to go through with it." He told Harry.

"Oh thank Merlin! We were so worried." Harry said happy his best friend wouldn't be married to the wizard who killed his parents.

"Now we just need to worry about her coming back alive. Now, my dear, I am feeling light pink this evening with a pale yellow outer robe with mauve suede heels. Remember don't get any blood on the dress, ok?" Lucius said transfiguring her clothes.

"Yes sir." She said and smiled at her new clothes, "So when I live my life as a lazy freeloader, will you buy me pretty dresses too?"

"Yes, dear" was the response from both Lucius and Severus in unison which made her giggle as she stepped into the fire place and …figuratively speaking into the fire.

_(__**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading and __**Please Review**__.)_


	16. Untainted

_The Tangled Webs We Weave (long chapter)_

She walked through the floo gracefully at Surrey Crossing, but stopped mid stride greeting the death eater standing in her midst waiting patiently for her.

"Lord Le'Strange, Good Evening." She said politely with a smile. It wasn't fake, but it wasn't warm and friendly either. The verdict was still out on him in her mind.

He bowed, "Miss Granger. You look lovely as usual." He offered her his arm waiting for her to take it so he could lead her to the dark lord. He walked very slowly, he liked being in her company. She made him feel …untainted.

Hermione was walking with this man and realized she knew nothing about him, curiosity took over and she started asking questions, hoping neither to sound too eager nor to offend the man… though he was still a death eater – still, she was raised with manners.

"Lord Le'Strange, Are you married?" she asked

He smiled and turned towards her, "Please call me Robustus and no, I'm not married."

"Why not? Isn't it pureblood tradition to arrange marriages?"

"Yes, but the woman I was betrothed to, before I was born mind you, was born a squib and therefore thought to be …well, not worthy to marry into my family."

She thought he sounded sad, but pushed that from her mind, afterall, she knew nothing about this man.

"They didn't try to marry you off again?" she asked

He seemed a little surprised at her blunt wording, but smiled again and answered her question, "My mother talked my father into allowing me to decide to whom I should wed. She didn't want me to be unhappy." He said quietly with an ironic smirk.

She sensed the irony, "you are unhappy now." It was a statement not a question. He nodded.

"Where is your mother now? Were you close to her?" she asked him. His breath caught a little bit at the purity of her innocent curiosity. She was not asking to someday use this against him, she was asking because she was genuinely interested. _How very Gryffindor_, he thought.

"Dead. Yes, I loved her very much."

"How did she die?"

"Ah! We are here, Miss Granger. It was nice seeing you. Enjoy your evening." He said and squeezed her hand as he turned to leave.

She felt sympathy for him, though she didn't know why. Something about him brought out her maternal side. She sighed and knocked on the door.

"Enter"

She opened the door and smiled as she walked in, "Good evening my lord." She said as she curtsied.

He stood and walked to her with his arms out, "Miss Granger, so nice of you to come, please have a seat." He had placed his hands on her shoulders as he spoke and ended up guiding her to the chair.

"You look beautiful tonight. We shall have tea then walk in the gardens." He told her and set to pour each of them tea.

They drank their tea engaging in polite chit chat he set his cup down, stood offering her his arm, "Shall we?"

She nodded and took his arm allowing him to lead her to the gardens.

***

Sirius, Severus and Lucius had plans as they were collecting rare ingredients in the forests of Brazil this evening. As they prepared themselves Tonks and Remus cleaned up the kitchen together needing to stay behind in case something happened, they could call Draco and form a solid team.

"Tonks?"

"Hmmm?"

"Would you like to go for ice cream?" he asked quietly expecting her to laugh.

Her head snapped up to look at him; after a moment she smiled, "Yes I would like that very much."

He beamed, "meet you back here in an hour, then?"

She nodded so quickly that she got a little dizzy holding on to the table to steady herself, "yes."

He chuckled and went back to Grimmald Place to get ready. He met Sirius there on his way out, "Oi, did you ask her?" Sirius called from the floo just before he grabbed the powder.

Remus turned and smiled that smile then started to walk upstairs. He could hear Sirius' laugh just before he closed his bedroom door.

*** _**(slash)**_

"Draco, I'm so sorry." He said tracing the blondes jaw line softly with his finger.

He was having trouble looking into the stormy gray orbs of his lover; they were so intense, penetrating.

"I miss you." Draco whispered and pulled Harry into a soft kiss. There was no tongue, no open mouth, no sloppy wetness – just soft lips brushing against each other; caressing warm breathes conveying deep feelings of hurt, forgiveness and passion.

Harry's hand moved from Draco's jaw line to the nape of his neck and into his hair pulling the taller man closer.

Ever since Harry figured out what was 'wrong', he felt like a weight was lifted. He knew that he still missed Ginny tremendously, but he didn't want to be with her sexually. He missed her friendship, her presence. She was smart and spirited and didn't deserve him treating with disregard because he wasn't prepared to admit that he was gay. He knew that now.

He needed to fix things with her, but right now he needed to mend things with Draco. He had hurt Draco even more with his absence and harmful treatment.

"I missed you too, Can you forgive me?" harry asked hopeful.

Draco softly dropped his forehead onto Harry's and sighed. Harry could smell mint and wine on his breath. He wanted to smell that smell forever.

"Never do that again…. Please. I… I" Draco was at a loss for words. He had had only Hermione to talk to about his heart ache to which he had to limit since she was hurting too. Though, Draco was still angry about 'the incident' 11 months ago in which Harry had participated almost raping …, but if Hermione could forgive the dark haired git, then Draco could too.

"Never." Harry whispered and pulled Draco closer. His lips claimed the blondes in a searing passion-filled kiss.

Draco returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm, gripping Harry's hip and grinding them together. They moaned in unison.

Harry's hands moved to untuck Draco's shirt, running his hands up his muscled back, carefully dragging his nail down causing Draco to arch and moan in pleasure.

Draco lifted his arms and Harry pulled his shirt off.

His skin was pale and flawless. Each muscle was defined perfectly on Draco's body. The slight curve under Draco's nipples outlining pectorals made Harry harder.

He bent down and bit those tiny dusty pink nipples making Draco hiss in pain and grab at Harry's head pulling him closer if possible.

Harry was not as tall and a bit stocky, but not unattractively so. He was well muscled and Draco loved the thickness of Harry's body. He felt protected. Strange for a man to feel and Draco could take care of himself, but when he was alone with Harry, it was them against the world and no one could hurt them. Draco felt protected.

Draco murmured something and they were divested of their clothes. Slowly moving towards the bed, lips locked trying to make up for lost time, they plopped unceremoniously onto Draco's bed falling in a heap still kissing and touching and groping.

Harry broke the kiss moving lower until his lips touched the tip of Draco's hardened member.

"Please Harry." Draco panted wanting to feel his lovers mouth around him.

Harry licked the pre cum from the mushroomed head of Draco's penis. Draco hissed and bucked his hips forward in an effort to engage Harry some more.

Harry smiled and cupped the sensitive sac resting under Draco's manhood. Harry pulled gently and squeezed softly, but only breathed warm breathes on the wanton member. Draco was begging now and Harry was itching to taste his lover. Opening his mouth and relaxing his throat he slid his lips around the large erection and sucked slowly, swirling his tongue up and down and around.

"Ahhh, Harry, yesssssss!"

Draco bucked his hips in small circles and was feeling the sensation of pressure, "Harry, wait, I want to …"

Harry stopped knowing what he wanted. Harry moved up to kiss him, running his tongue along Draco's bottom lip and pressing forward into his hot mouth. Draco let Harry kiss him long and hard filled with heat and desire.

As Harry stood in between Draco's legs, Draco wrapped his hands around Harry's member. It wasn't as large as Draco, but it was satisfying.

Draco pulled Harry closer and moved into a standing position, skillfully guiding Harry in front of him, bent over, his legs standing, his elbows and forehead on the bed.

Draco conjured some clear liquid rubbing it on Harry sensually, causing harry to buck in response. He also rubbed it up and down his cock.

Draco's eyes darkened to a gun metal gray in anticipation of this next action; he placed his left hand on Harrys back sliding it upwards towards his shoulder and the other hand pulled Harry's bum cheeks apart. Draco couldn't help but bend down briefly to lick the tiny, but inviting star; he was please when Harry moaned when he pressed his tongue inside licking the rim forcefully.

He stood when Harry started begging. He spread Harry's legs a little more using his legs and pressed forward. Slowly inside, moving past the tight ring that made Harry's close his eyes tightly forcing himself to relax; once in, harry was panting and shaking, Draco was breathing hard. Draco reached around gripping Harry's cock and started to move.

"Oh Draco…a little harder."

Draco pumped a little harder; a little faster. He wasn't going to last.

"Harry…I"

"yesssssssss!" Draco felt Harry's muscles contract and warm liquid spurt onto his hand. He thrust inside once more and came with a hiss in pleasure.

Both men spent, they lay down together and promptly fell asleep as men are want to do after sex.

***

"Ready?"

She smiled, "yes."

Awkward silence staring at each other until Remus regained his cognitive abilities and moved aside letting her pass through the door first.

It took them several minutes to decide what kind of ice cream they wanted, Tonks finally decided on two scoops of bubblegum (with the actual bubble gum balls inside) and Remus got double fudge marshmallow in a cone.

They walked out of the shop happily eating their ice cream walking in the park talking about nothing in particular.

Remus looked at Tonks and smirked.

"What?" she asked

"You have ice cream…. Just there." He said pointing to the top of her lip.

"Oh." She said a little embarrassed and brought her hand up to wipe it away. She was startled when Remus caught her arm, "Here. Let me." he said his voice rich and deep.

He slowly lowered his head and captured said stray ice cream drop with his lips. Though, he didn't retreat; instead his tongue emerged and ran along softly tracing both her top and bottom lip. She parted her sticky lips receiving him gladly. Ice cream forgotten, they embraced, in the park as the world around them passed uneventful. She had never been so thoroughly snogged in her entire life!

***

Hermione was barely conscious, she tried to count concrete blocks, but couldn't think properly.

She looked around the dank cell, she tried moving but it was hindered. All she could see were the bottom of her dress, bloodied and torn. Her knees and legs were muddy and streaked with blood. _Why_, she asked herself. She couldn't remember. She had one shoe on and didn't know where the other was.

Her arms were numb. She tried to move her head in another direction, but found she was unable. She could only see out of one eye. _It didn't feel like she was closing the other eye on purpose._ She was having trouble breathing. She couldn't breathe at all through her nose.

She was cold. _Where was her outer robe? The pretty one Lucius transfigured for her?_ She looked around as best she could again. No robe.

She heard something and tried to speak, but it came out a gurgled sound.

"My, how the mighty have fallen." He said. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

She attempted to move, to kick him away, something, but she couldn't.

"Don't sweet girl, don't fight me. You're mine now. He gave you to me – to do as I will." He said with saccharine charm.

He was touching her now and she whimpered. _Why was her stomach cramping up?_ She wondered. _Her body ached, but her stomach really hurt_.

As if reading her thoughts Ron said, "Sorry about the baby, we couldn't let you have someone else's spawn." He said looking at the blood staining the front of her dress.

Her mind only registered one word: baby.

"ba… baby?" she whispered as best she could. She found it difficult to speak her lips didn't seem to be working very well… and it felt like she was missing teeth.

Ron's eyebrows rose in surprise, "oh, you didn't know. No loss then, huh? Now you can have my babies." He said callously.

He wiped away a tear she didn't know she shed.

"You should be mine. It's where you belong." He said stepping closer to her.

***

Draco hissed in pain. He was being summoned. He looked down at his lover and smiled.

He got dressed and made his way to the library quickly to check if his father had returned. The house was empty; he pressed his wand on the mark and arrived in front of the dark lord himself.

He bowed immediately and noticed that he was alone, "yes my lord."

"Draco, What have you heard?"

"Regarding what, My Lord?"

"ME!" Voldemort bellowed.

Draco was about to feign ignorance, but thought better of it at the last minute.

"That you mean to take the mudblood as a bride, my lord."

Voldemort nodded, "I see. You death eaters gossip like women."

Draco couldn't deny that statement, he himself loved gossip and participated actively, though he refrained from ever making things up, he was happy to pass whatever he **heard** along to others.

"My lord, have you taken it yet as your bride?"

"it?" Voldemort asked

"The mudblood my lord."

"She is a witch, like any other, Draco. She is powerful and intelligent. You'd do well to remember that." Voldemort snapped.

This confused Draco a bit, but didn't say anything – just waited

After a few moments of silence, "She needs to be tended to." Voldemort said quietly.

"My lord?" Draco asked not sure if he heard correctly.

"YOU MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF??? CRUCIO!"

Voldemort tortured the young wizard for an hour until Robustus couldn't take it anymore and interrupted with some menial item that needed attention.

"My Lord? You requested I remind you about enhancing the concealment charms around Surrey Crossing. It's time." Robustus took a risk. The dark never asked Robustus to remind him of anything and the concealment charms were fine, but the dark lord was not in his right mind most of the time, so Robustus took the chance.

The crucio ended leaving an unconscious Draco lying on the floor barely breathing. The dark lord looked at Robustus for a moment then nodded. To Robustus' surprise Voldemort stood and walked out of the room asking the death eater to take care of the 'rubbish' referring to Draco.

***

"Don do dis, 'on." she coughed and sputtered. She couldn't speak or move well, but she tried.

"sssshhhhhh" he said as he continued to touch her face, her neck. She realized with a start that her dress was torn down the front revealing her pink bra and knickers when the dress halves were pulled apart.

His fingers trailed down her collar bone, over her breasts lingering there; his hand cupping her breast as if to judge its weight. He grinned and pinched her nipple through the soft fabric.

She inhaled sharply at the pain.

His fingers moved across her dirty belly and down to the waist band of her panties; his gaze persisting on the juncture of her thighs.

***

Robustus picked the tall boy up and slung him over his shoulder in a firemen's carry. Stepping through the floo he yelled, "Malfoy Manor!".

Once he arrived he walked into a room full of wizards some were yelling some were not, but it was more of who was present that was interesting.

The yelling stopped and each wizard looked at the visitors with mounting trepidation. Sirius pulled his wand and Robustus stepped back putting his arms up in surrender.

Robustus shook his head; he was so tired of this shit.

"I have some news if you will listen." He told the group.

Lucius was looking at his son with growing worry, "What happened?"

Robustus took a deep breath, "Is there somewhere I can put him so he will be comfortable? He was crucio'd for at least an hour. He will be ok, but he needs his rest."

Just then Harry walked in, "You can put him in here." Motioning for Robustus to follow.

The Le'Strange brother almost dropped Malfoy junior when Harry walked in??? ?...

_Harry. Bloody. Potter. _

He couldn't seem to make his legs follow right away, but he shook his head to clear it and walked into the shared bedroom placing the blonde on the bed and moving away as Harry started tending to him. Robustus absently noted how loving Harry was handling the sleeping death eater.

Removing his shoes with care; sitting him up to take his robes off his shoulders; laying him back down his head on the pillow. Harry covered Draco up and kissed his temple.

Robustus snapped out of his trance and followed Harry back to the library.

"I want in." Robustus told the group and took the tumbler of firewhiskey offered him by Severus Snape and downed it in one go.

"Bella will kill you." Lucius said.

Robustus looked pointedly at Sirius, "Did you know, she has been and always will be in love with you?"

Sirius' jaw dropped then clipped shut, "We are cousins." He said as if that was the end of it.

"She's insane… it doesn't matter to her, but that is why she hates you so." Robustus told the man.

Remus was jumpy; he had dropped Tonks off hours ago. He had wanted to get another kiss from her so he went back and she was not there. He was worried, which was why Sirius and Remus were yelling at each other and Lucius and Severus were drinking – the girls were gone. They knew that Hermione 'had a date', but it was just after midnight and no one had heard a thing from either of them in hours.

Remus recounted the timeline: _Hermione left at 6:15; at 9:30 I dropped Tonks off at her house; Harry said Draco left at 9:45 and Lucius, Sirius and Severus returned at 10:00._ _Then, at 11:45 __**Robustus freaking Le'Strange**__ walks in carrying Draco and says he wants in. HOLY SHITE!_ Remus thought.

Robustus looked at the group and swallowed another drink, "thank you." He said to Severus who was pouring.

"So you really care for her?" Robustus asked carefully.

Lucius and Severus looked at each other, "Yes."

Severus gave Robustus a look that said if he betrayed them he would die an ugly death. Robustus nodded in acknowledgment.

"I just want this to end. I'm so tired... mostly of Bella. I would like to get away from her, here, him – have a family without fear of…." Robustus said the last quietly and mostly to himself while he studied the colors of the amber liquid. He was half expecting him to tease him, but they didn't, they only nodded in agreement.

***

Hermione was sobbing now; she felt nothing but repulsion and shame at what Ron was doing; his fingers inside of her harshly thrusting in and out. He had tried to kiss her, but her lips were too swollen and it didn't feel right.

"pease 'top." She asked

"You like this, I know you do." He said and thrust another finger inside of her making her hiss a little in pain and stifle another sob.

Just then the 'couple' was interrupted as Bella opened the cell door, "Oh! Didn't know you were here, Weasely. Don't mind me." she cackled as she threw some dark haired and bloody body into the cell.

The body landed with a thud and a grunt, but didn't move after that.

Bella cackled and moved to stand behind Ron, "When you're through the mudblood, come find me and I'll show you what a pureblood witch tastes like." Whispering in his ear and biting his lobe.

He withdrew his fingers and looked at Bella – his eyes stopping at her breasts pouring out of her robes, her small waist and curvy, her skin flawless and her hair shiny and black. "I'm done. She won't stop moving anyway."

Bella smiled and took his hand leading him away. The cell door closed and Hermione let out her breath.

She would need to thank Bellatrix later, but right now, "'onks!" she said

Nothing.

" 'onks!" she tried again, if nothing happened she would go mad.

The girl on the floor twitched and moaned.

Hermione sighed with a shriek, so relieved that Tonks wasn't dead.

"Ton's" she said louder.

"Mimi?" Tonks said in a painful whisper.

"Ah huh. 'aff to get ou 'ere" Hermione said.

"I can't move and they took my wand." Tonks groaned trying to get up, but couldn't.

"Tabi." Hermione said.

"Who?" Tonks asked.

"Tabi ang Rigi" Hermione reiterated.

Tonks smiled and toothless smile, "TAVI!"

POP!

"Yes miss? Ohhhhh" The elf looked around and his ears went flat on his head with dread.

"Can you help us get out of here?" Tonks asked looking at him intensely and with hope.

Tavi looked around and noticed that both his witches were severely injured and one was shackled to the wall.

"Yes miss."

"Where are the masters?" Tonks asked

"Malfoy Manor Miss Tonks."

"Can you apperate us to Hermione's house?"

"Yes Miss."

Tonks crawled pulling her body with one arm closer to Hermione and Tavi. Tavi wrapped an arm around Hermione's leg and grabbed Tonks' shoulder and with a POP! All three were gone.

***

Ricki was serving the wizards some food and more firewhiskey when she sensed Tavi's anxiety. It was very strong and in an instant she connected to his mind.

***

Severus watched the little house elf serve the food and then stop mid action. She closed her eyes and laid her ears flat on her large skull. When she opened them she looked worried and turned to eye Severus. She spoke loud enough for each man to hear, "Ricki must go now."

POP!

CRASH! The tray she was holding dropped to the floor.

Robustus just looked on with irritation, like most pureblood he held a general disdain for house elves, "Lucius I've never known you to allow your elves to act in that manner."

Remus stood with recognition of the action.

Lucius answered with caution trying to understand why she did that, "She isn't mine she serves… Oh Dear Merlin!"

"What?" Harry asked panicked.

Sirius answered, "The last time Ricki acted like that was when Tonks was injured by a slicing spell and almost died. Remember?"

"Do you know where they are?" Robustus asked the group feeling an urgent need to find Hermione.

"Tavi stays at Hermione's most of the time, we'll go there first." Severus said.

"I don't know where that is." Robustus said silently asking for their approval to go with them. He cared for Hermione, he wasn't sure why, but he did.

The four elder wizards shared a look then Remus walked towards the former death eater, "Side along with me." Robustus took the werewolfs shoulder and with a crack all of them were gone except for Harry who stayed with Draco.

***

POP!

"OOOMMMPH!" The two witches landed with a deafening thud. They were unconscious and Tavi didn't know what to do so he called for Ricki.

She arrived immediately and hugged her brother.

"They be ok, Tavi. We's just get the masters." But before she could leave five wizards apperated on the spot to find two broken witches and two scared house elves; they moved as a group silently worried at what they would discover.

They stood for a moment taking it all in, blood, dirt, ripped clothes, awkwardly bent limbs, matted hair, bruised faces, and swollen skin.

Severus wanted to kill…. Every death eater he knew, "did you know?" he turned a menacing eye on Robustus.

Robustus shook his head, "no."

Remus was almost in tears when he picked up a battered Tonks. "Please don't die." He whispered to her. She was so limp in his arms, he wanted to die himself.

"We have to get Poppy." Lucius said

"I'll go." Robustus said wanting to help, but was kept from going, "You can't." Sirius said

***

Sirius strode into the hospital ward, "POPPY!"

She came running out in her nightgown and sleeping cap, "What is it? Sirius?"

"We need your help, Hermione and Tonks are…" his breath hitched.

She nodded and ran back to change and get her medi-bag, "ok, let's go."

_(__**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading and __**Please review**__)_


	17. broadening horizons

_The Tangled Webs We Weave _

Both witches had been taken to St. Mungo's for care; they were too injured to be left at home without medical supervision.

Poppy had healed most of the external bruises and some of the bone fractures, but she couldn't heal major breaks in the larger bones, nor did she have the resources to grow back teeth, which both girls needed.

The Order was called and brought up to speed on the latest information. Albus was not happy about Hermione having tea with the dark lord, but what was done was done. They were all surprised that Voldemort had asked her to serve as his queen. Draco recounted each item that the two teams had discussed including the pros and cons list, when Hermione was 'negotiating' with the dark lord.

Juno Baris was present at that particular meeting and wondered aloud why the dark lord would want a mudblood. He actually said the word and was severely chastised by both Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. It was an event Juno did not care to repeat… ever.

Juno remained silent the rest of the meeting only looking up once or twice to see the speaker. Harry Potter, himself, was glaring daggers in his direction so Juno decided just study his shoes until the meeting was adjourned.

The Order decided this was the time to act and set out giving Order members tasks to complete in preparation.

The Vikings and the Dark Angel were to look through Hermione's notes for her vanishing potion and see if they could make it work. Severus still had Hermione's virgin blood and made the decision to use it. He needed some rare moonlight ingredients from the Forbidden forest so Sirius and Harry went to collect it during the full moon the following week. This was dangerous for obvious reasons, but the wizards felt that with Harry's invisibility cloak and Sirius' wand waving skills they would be ok.

Remus would be standing watch over the girls until the day his furry little problem made its appearance and then Draco would take over.

***

Robustus Le'Strange watched this meeting continue with a reserved eye. He knew that he wanted to protect Miss Granger; he knew that he wanted to be away from the dark lord, Bella, and all the killing; he knew that he wanted to start a family with someone he loved-whatever her background, but he wasn't quite ready to embrace this 'light' side and he still did think he was superior to many of the wizards and witches present. Though, he wasn't sure if that had anything to do with blood purity or his own arrogant nature. He decided on the latter and felt that he could live with that; _after all look at the Malfoys, you can't get much more arrogant than them… even Snape was a cocky bastard_. He thought.

He looked around again, he wasn't received well, in fact a couple of Order members had drawn their wands, but Harry Potter stepped in front of him, effectively preventing him from being hexed, explaining the former death eaters presence.

_Harry bloody Potter, BLOODY HELL! The boy-who-lived SAVED ME! _Robustus shook his head_, What's the world coming to?_

There seemed to be invisible lanes in the room that separated groups of Order members from others; Snape, Malfoy's, Black, Potter, Lupin and now Le'Strange were in the back corner of the room and weren't very vocal unless called upon by the older wizard, Albus Dumbledore. Robustus surmised that their little group would include Miss Granger and Miss Tonks as well-and thought Draco was currently with said witches, Robustus knew the boy wouldn't stand apart from both his father and his lover.

...he was wrong about Hermione; she always sat up front no matter who attended the meeting. She was studious by nature and took notes diligently. The little group in the back made a habit of driving her to madness by jinxing her hair to stand on end or causing her to curse spontaneously.

Of course there was no way for Robustus to know this as this was his first Order meeting. He continued to peruse the gallery of former foes.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, Shacklebolt, Molly and Arthur Weasely were all up-front facing the crowd. McGonagall was eyeballing the former death eater wearily; the two had never cottoned to each other, even going beyond the normal house rivalry and dark lord/light side fights. They had, what some would call, a serious personality conflict.

She's never liked him; from day one she sneered at him. He has always believed it had something to do with his father, but he couldn't prove anything.

He was pretty sure that she had been married to Dumbledore since Merlin's time, but that didn't keep his mind from wondering about his father's adventures with women. He remembered the way his father's face softened – the man even cracked a tiny smile- when he saw the Transfiguration Professor during one of the Yule Balls. She had rebuffed him publically, but she was visibly flustered after he had greeted her with a kiss to her wrist. That in and of itself was strangely intimate – a kiss on the knuckles - yes, the inside of a woman's wrist – no. _It was something Black would do when he was trying to get into a witch's pants _Robustus thought with a smirk.

He took a moment to look at the man in question; he was currently winking at some young red head across the room. She was blushing and making eyes at the roguish wizard. Lucius caught Robustus' stare and quirked his lips up in the same Slytherin style smirk. Both spies shook their heads at the flirty actions.

Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, two of the most powerful wizards he knew, second only to the dark lord and Dumbledore. They could have anything they want, the combined knowledge of the two could surely wreak havoc across all wizarding communities; they could be the most powerful, but instead they chose to fight against tyranny. He respected that; he was ashamed at how long it took him to make the decision and even still it was a selfish decision. He wants to be happy and he can't do that with Bella and the dark lord still living. He mentally shrugged, _well he's here now_.

Juno was droning on about how he wanted something important to do to help, more responsibility.

Robustus watched the facial expression of Moody and McGonagall as they tried to keep their composure. He was sure that the duo wanted to scream 'NO' and wave their arms in an effort to stop the little man from continuing to speak, but to their credit they remained silent only fidgeting when it looked like Dumbledore was entertaining an idea of Juno's.

He even heard Severus groan as one of Juno's ideas made its way to the back corner of the room to be heard. Juno was now speaking quite loud in order to be heard.

Lucius and Harry Potter rolled their eyes, Lupin just grimaced in distaste and Black was oblivious – he was still flirting with the young red head, she was now batting her eye lashes at him.

**Click. Whoosh.**

The floo activated and out stepped Malfoy Jr. Tall, solidly built, blonde and handsome, Potter nearly fell on the floor as his knees went weak. Of course he wasn't the only one; various women across the room also stopped breathing at the sight of the younger Viking.

Remus' senses –again- went into over drive.

The graceful man walked up to the small assembly with a smile on his face.

Even though the room was silent, waiting for Draco to give an update on the two witches in question, the young man still waited until he was standing next to his father, lover and team to speak, "They're awake and asking for you." He told the eager faces even Sirius stopped flirting (giving one the distinct impression that he was only flirting, because he was bored and not because he was genuinely interested) and walked to the floo.

The group made a mass exodus through the floo without saying a word in parting, leaving a confused Order and chagrined red head who thought she was going to shag the infamous Sirius Black.

***

The teams thought it would be easier to watch and protect the girls if they were in the same room, so when Tonks woke up and looked around she smiled relieved that she wasn't alone. She heard the toilet in the bathroom flush, the sink and then the door opened. Walking out drying his hands was none other than Draco Malfoy.

He smiled at her and sat down in his seat, which was placed in between their two single beds. He picked up his book, marked the page and closed it.

"Hi Sunshine." He said.

She grabbed his hand and looked at him like he was heaven on earth. She didn't cry, because she just didn't..., but this was pretty damn close to torrent emotion. He just took her hand and covered it with both of his warm ones. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, "Shhhh. You're safe now." He told her.

He had been told on more than one occasion that his presence calmed those around him, he didn't do anything out of the ordinary, and he just tried to be sincere, but whatever **it** was, **it** worked, because Tonks nodded, sighed and asked for some water.

After she drank, she decided that she didn't want to be the only one awake so she turned her head and practically yelled to the next bed, "MiMi!"

Draco sat up straighter, "What are you doing? Let her sleep." He said his voice a little higher than normal. He loved Tonks, but Hermie belonged to their team. _Possessive much?_

Tonks looked at him, but didn't say anything, "MiMi, Wake up!"

Hermione twitched and Draco frowned. Her eyes were fluttering open and she moaned.

Draco sat on her bed putting his head on her stomach and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Hermie?" he whispered.

She sighed and opened her eyes. She looked at Tonks glad that the woman was awake and then looked down at the blonde currently attached to her mid section.

He felt her fingers run through his hair and he smiled, "Welcome back." He said looking at her.

"Yeah, I heard my name being yelled." She snapped and looked at Tonks in mock annoyance.

Tonks quickly looked the other way and whistled as if she were just minding her own business.

"So I guess you told him you didn't want to marry him, huh?" Draco asked with a smirk.

She snorted and nodded, "that'll teach me to be picky." She responded with the light sarcasm; then she looked at him apprehensively, "Is …ah, umm, your..."

Draco smiled at her before he interrupted, "I'm gonna go get dad and the rest of 'em." He said and ran off.

The medi-witch came in shortly after he left and examined both women.

"You're doing well ladies. You will probably be able to go home today if you choose, though you'll have to take it easy and keep taking some potions that will strengthen your new teeth and mend the bones that were broken." She said to both and then turned to Hermione, "Miss Granger you will need to come back for a check-up in another two weeks, OK?"

Hermione just nodded and swallowed.

Tonks turned and looked at her best friend sadly, "Mimi?"

"I need to brush my teeth." She said changing the subject and moved to get up, but her legs weren't working right and she tumbled to the ground before the nurse could catch her. Unfortunately, seven very interested wizards had just arrived and watched the scene with irritation… at both the nurse and Hermione.

Hermione tried again, despite the nurse scolding her.

Draco was closest and went to pick her up, but she barked at him to stop, "I can do this myself." She said through clenched teeth.

Severus Snape stepped forward after a second, "Mia, let me help…" she was going to interrupt but he raised his hand to stop her and bent down picking her up to walk to the bathroom.

When the door clicked shut the men gathered around Tonks to check on her and find out what happened.

***

"Hermione?" Severus said quietly.

"I need to brush my teeth." She maintained and proceeded to do so.

He sat on the tub and waited for her to finish. He amused himself by watching her bare bottom shaking with the motion of teeth brushing, he was sure she was unaware that her gown was open in the back.

"What are you looking at?" she asked him wiping her face with a towel.

His head snapped up and he looked at her with as innocent an expression as he could muster, "nothing." He said.

She narrowed her eyes at him and the movement of her turning resulted in a cool breeze falling across her backside. She turned suddenly (she was facing him with her back to the mirror) to look at her back in the mirror and gasped in horror as the two round globes, known as her bum, stared back at her with uninhibited spite!

She turned back to him, but he spoke first, "I'm sorry, I missed them." He said pulling her closer so that she sat on his lap.

"Are you ok, love?"

She nodded. *_pause_*

Then shrugged in indecision. *_pause_*

And then shook her head no. "Not really, Professor." She was sniffling now and her shoulders were shaking.

He held her and let her cry, he hated this. This war needed to end. She didn't deserve to be hurt or to cry…

"He touched me and beat me…. how could he?" she said.

"The dark lord?" he asked

She shook her head, "Ron. After I told Voldemort, he tortured me for a while, but then he gave me to Ron. Ron. _**touched**__._ me. I told him no. I. TOLD. HIM. NO" she said angry with fists clenched – she emphasized the word 'touched' to stress the betrayal at such an act.

Her breath caught after remembering what Ron had said, "Professor, I was pregnant."

She really started crying now.

His breath hitched and he stiffened, "was?"

She just nodded and cried harder.

He stood still holding her and cracked open the door, "Lucius." He called curtly.

The blonde man walked to the door immediately concerned, they had been in there a while. Severus held the door open for the tall wizard and he entered looking confused, but concerned. His face softened considerably when he saw a crying Hermione in Severus' arms.

She couldn't look at him just yet.

Severus sat again and looked at Lucius contemplatively; he was leaning against the sink on the other side of the toilet. He was trying to look casual by crossing his ankles and leaning back, but the whites of his knuckles were making it blatantly obvious that he was nervous, as he was gripping the edge of the counter.

Severus spoke quietly, "She was pregnant." He told the other wizard who let go of the counter and sat closer, resting on the toilet. He rubbed her back hoping to comfort her.

She looked at him now, "She was yours Lucius." She said as clearly as she could.

He froze… _his… a daughter_.

He had wanted another child for so long, never thinking too long on it lest he get swallowed up in the yearning, after all he had Draco and he loved his son more than life itself, but he had wanted a daughter… _his little girl_…

He looked at her and opened his arms; she flew into them crying harder. He wanted to cry too, but knew that he couldn't.

Severus focused on the tile while the two shared a moment mourning the loss of their child – of their daughter.

Severus felt a pang, a tightening in his chest. He loved her and if that meant sharing her with Lucius, he would do that as long as he could be around her.

He looked at Lucius then and their eyes met in silent agreement.

The men had known each for thirty years, fought together, shared witches, learned together and considered each other friends. They didn't need to speak much, both were skilled Legiligmens and Occlumens, so as long as they made eye contact they could communicate.

In this instance, Lucius couldn't believe what he was seeing, Severus was conceding sole possession. Lucius was relieved and happy; he had hope. They would just need to convince the little Miss Hermione that a Trinity was the right thing to do, but first they had to get through all of this.

"Does Draco know?" Lucius asked her. She still had her face buried in his shoulder.

Severus stood and opened the door, he didn't have to call out, Draco was standing right next to it.

"It's about time you let me in. I had to listen to Lupin cry over Tonks and express his undying love for her, Great Gods it was mushy!"

Hermione laughed a little and Draco knelt in front of her, "Hey." He said taking her hands in his.

When she saw him kneel she sat down on Lucius' knee facing outward and let it all out, every detail she could remember, she didn't really want to tell them _everything_, but she couldn't help it.

"So you were going to have my sister?" he said, shedding a single tear for the loss.

She nodded and they hugged she sniffled into his shoulder, "Don't get snot on my shirt I just bought it." He said teasing her.

She laughed, but they didn't let each other go just yet.

"It's getting very crowded in here, why don't we let you shower – Can you stand?" Lucius asked.

She nodded uncertainly not wanting to make one of them stay and babysit.

"I'll stay." Draco said and the other two nodded knowing if they had to help Hermione shower, someone was going to get shagged and she wasn't ready for that yet.

The men walked out and Robustus stood, "Well? Is she ok?" he asked

"Tell me Robustus, Why are you so interested in our Miss Granger?" Lucius asked with a stoic, but serious expression.

The room went silent as they waited for his explanation, "I… I…"

It was Sirius who spoke when he recognized the signs and put two and two together, "Malfoy, didn't you say Voldemort was buying loyalty?"

The Viking nodded not understanding where Sirius was going with this, but waited silently for the man to finish.

"…and didn't you say that Le'Strange, here, was trying to have crazy little magical beings with my dear cousin Bella? And that the dark lord promised them babies?"

Lucius again nodded paling slightly.

"I think Robustus here fancies a family of his own and seeing as how there are few pureblood witches that are fertile, he is broadening his horizons so to speak. Isn't that right, Le'Strange? You want to make strange little babies with our Hermione. Not only is she gorgeous, she's smart, feisty and extremely powerful… not to mention that hooking up with her will do wonders for your reputation." Sirius ended smugly.

Everyone looked at the newcomer with a mix of surprise and rage.

Robustus swallowed, "yes I want a family. Yes, I find myself attracted to Miss Granger, but I would never force her, but yes, I have…. entertained the idea of a family in the future… with … ah her." He confessed looking at his feet.

When no one spoke he tried to explain his logic, "She is untainted by anything magical, she has power, yes, but she came to our community with fresh eyes. She is …pure... and I find myself, genuinely _liking_ her… I enjoy _talking_ to her." He looked up hoping not to find the business end of someone's wand.

Strangely, Lucius knew exactly what Robustus was talking about; he felt the same way about her.

The 'she' of whom they were speaking was standing inside the room being supported by Draco, listening with interest. She walked towards Robustus – holding Draco's hand and using it as a crutch- she let go so she could take Robustus' hand in hers (and lean on him a little), "Thank you for saving Draco and helping Tonks and I, words can't express how grateful I am to you." She looked at him for a split second more then she stepped back to stand in between Severus and Lucius, they automatically wrapped their arms around her and Robustus nodded in understanding. It was a wordless expression of possession and it came across to him loud and clear. He walked out to get some water and Hermione smiled at Tonks.

She limped over to Tonks' bed and crawled in. The wizards stepped back and watched silently while the girls hugged each other – they were both crying and it made the wizards that cared for them want to cry too.

"We made it again." Hermione whispered.

Tonks nodded and squeezed her friend closer, "I'm getting too old for this shit!"

Hermione laughed and pulled away slightly, "hey we have some scars to catalogue, what's that saying – men love scars?"

Tonks sighed, "No, it's 'chicks dig scars', but since WE are the chicks WITH the scars it doesn't really apply to us, but hey, whatcha gonna do?"

Hermione laid her head down on the pillow and her eyes drifted closed. Tonks followed suit.

Remus broke the silence, "well that was quick." He said chuckling at the now sleeping witches.

They resembled two little girls at a sleep over; arms around each other gripping firmly even in sleep.

The wizards left the room leaving the witches to sleep.

"Tonks told us she was kidnapped by Bella and then tortured for hours. She said some other death eaters came in to beat her, but that's it." Sirius said

Lucius looked away and Severus spoke instead, "Hermione was beaten and tortured also – she miscarried, and Weasely molested her." Severus sneered the last words

It was quiet as they absorbed the information.

"We should go get their clothes and make sure Tavi and Riki clean the houses." Harry said.

"I'll stay here with them, Le'Strange can stay with me and we can play some wizards chess until you return." Sirius said.

They all nodded and floo'd back to get stuff for the girls.

Robustus was relieved that he was being accepted into the group even after Blacks revelations.

"Thanks Black." He said.

"Yep, now, wasn't there a red head around here just a minute ago?"

_(__**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading and __**Please review**__)_


	18. Where are you?

_Tangled Webs We Weave_

The next two days were spent perfecting Hermione's potion and tweaking the spell accompanying it. The following morning brought a sort of unwelcomed chaos to the calm household – they had all been staying at Malfoy Manor – when over tea and coffee the two Vikings and the dark angel were summoned leaving Harry and Hermione to watch as they scurried about in worried silence.

When the three left the Manor Harry and Hermione sighed and gave each other a small encouraging smile then walked up to their rooms to get ready for the day.

Hermione was in constant communication with Tonks who was being pampered by Remus and Sirius much to her chagrin (though she didn't ever say no to one of Remus' foot massages).

The girls were recovering, but still got tired after too much exertion and usually sat down to nap or read a book.

Hermione sent her patronus to Tonks, Remus and Sirius to let them know the three had gone. Her griffin materialized and stood waiting, preening her wings, for her orders. Hermione leaned in and spoke to the glowing animal and sent it on its way.

Harry looked at her with surprise, "I thought your patronus was an otter." He said mildly accusing her of …something.

"It changed." She said simply, but didn't elaborate.

"When?" he barked.

She smiled at him, knowing he was sharper than many gave him credit for; she thought perhaps because he hung out with Ron, "Let it go, Harry." She said softly.

He breathed in through his nose, "Mine changed that day too." He told her looking at the stair he was on avoiding eye contact.

She stopped smiling and looked at him with a piercing gaze, "To what?"

"An otter." He whispered and walked up the stairs to take a shower.

She was dumbstruck; after what seemed like a life time of standing there on the first step of the staircase she willed herself forward.

***

Tonks was walking out of the shower when a giant griffin huffed and stood staring at her.

She smiled and nodded for it to relay its message, "The Vikings and Professor have been summoned. Come over when you are able. Oh and be prepared to talk about…" the griffin preened a bit before continuing – _the thing almost had a mind of its own. Leave it to Mimi to change the Patronus charm making the figments more …alive_ Tonks thought.

She finally got annoyed, she was, after all, standing there in her towel and nothing else – in the hallway, "I think you know who, lover." Then the griffin snickered. Actually SNICKERED! Now Tonks knew it was Hermione's voice and Hermiones will, but it really looked like this griffin was having a laugh at her expense.

"Fine." She said and walked away.

Remus walked into the hallways just in time to hear the patronus say 'lover' and then snicker.

He stopped when he caught sight of Tonks. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. His legs started walking towards her of their own volition, "Is her patronus alive?" he asked, "It's odd the way that thing acts like it's a real animal." He said still focusing on Tonks' state of undress.

She chuckled, "Yeah. Ummm the three have been summoned. We should go over there to wait for them."

Remus nodded but stepped closer, "you smell nice." He said

She looked at him not retreating at all, liking the close proximity, "I did just take a shower, Moony."

He stepped closer still. He was now so close as to feel her breath on his neck and she could feel the warmth come from his body.

"Tonks"

She swallowed, "You know, my calf has been aching a bit, Do you think you could work your magic and massage it a little before we leave?"

He couldn't speak right now so he nodded… rather emphatically, making her give him a seductive smile.

The door clicked shut and Sirius peeped his head around the corner. He danced a silent jig in the hallway and walked, with a bounce in his step to the library. He was excited to see his best friend finally happy and with none other than his cousin whom he adored. Of course he had heard everything from his position in the dark recesses of that particular hallway, so he couldn't wait to send his patronus in response to Hermione's.

***

Harry and Hermione had made their way back down to the library to sit and wait. Neither wanted to do anything productive, though it would have probably done them some good; taken their minds off things.

She had just pulled open her favorite book Hogwarts: A History volume 14 when a large dog came loping in, glowing and slobbering, and waited for acknowledgement.

The two smiled and nodded for it to speak, "We'll be over, but it may take a while, Tonks had an…ache that only Remus could ease. Heehee" the dog then evaporated leaving Hermione and Harry laughing. They could almost see Sirius' air quotes around the word ache.

***

Robustus spent his days trying to avoid Bella and his brother; even while they dined he sat away from them. The dark lord commanded that his house guests dine with him formally in the evening.

Robustus thought it was because he was lonely and this was the only way for everyone to pretend that their lives were normal.

He speared a potato and looked up at his brother. He was a little surprised to notice that Rodolpho was eyeing him suspiciously. Robustus maintained eye contact – a show of strength. Rodolpho was the first to break the trance and looked at over to his wife in disdain.

Robustus knew that Rodolpho didn't like Bella, couldn't stand her actually, but he had to marry her. She was a Black after all.

After dinner was over Robustus got up to leave hoping that Ronald Weasely wouldn't follow him. In a stroke of good luck Ron walked towards the dungeon.

Robustus mentally grimaced. He was sure no one knew the two had escaped. Oh this night was going to get ugly in a few moments.

"Robustus."

Robustus was snapped out of his reverie by the stern voice of his brother. He looked into the matching brown eyes of his sibling.

"Rodolpho, How can I be of service?" he asked smoothly.

"We need to talk and I want you to hear me out, before you speak."

Robustus nodded and motioned for them to find a more private setting. They found one quickly and sat down heads bent together for more privacy. They looked like they did when they were boys, trying to get away from the prying eyes and ears of their ever present mother. She always knew when they were up to something.

Robustus waited for his younger brother to speak.

"Idon'twantthislifeanymore."

"What?" Robustus asked, not because he was angry, but because he didn't understand the string of sound that exited his brothers' non moving lips.

"Don't hex me." Rodolpho said immediately fearful that he had made a big mistake talking to his loyal to the dark lord brother, but he had to at least try.

"I don't want this life anymore. I hate it. I don't want to be married to Bella. I don't like killing, maiming, raping and whatever else they want us to do. I don't need the power and I ..." here he hesitated, "I don't really care about blood status." There he said it.

Shocked is not the word to use in regards to Rodolpho's reaction to his brothers reaction. Yes, his jaw dropped and his eyes bugged, but 'shocked' is not the right word. Abashed, floored, flabbergasted, stupefied – those were all appropriate words to describe how he was feeling at the moment.

Rodolpho was expecting yelling, scolding, threatening maybe even a hex or two thrown; certainly not laughing, but that's how Robustus reacted; he laughed.

"Wh… what exactly are you laughing at brother?" he asked cautiously.

"you." Robustus said

"I'm serious, Rob, I want out." Rodolpho whispered.

Robustus nodded his head, "wait for me at 9 pm tonight at the apparition point. We will go somewhere safe, brother, I too, want out."

Robustus had to get word to Severus and Malfoy that he would be bringing his brother and needed to keep him safe until the dark lord was defeated.

Just then Ron came screaming through the hall to bow at the dark lords feet panting, "My Lord"

"Mr. Weasely, speak."

"Hermione and Tonks…they… they're gone." He said

"It was your responsibility to make sure they were contained. Crucio!"

Ron fell screaming for him to stop and writhing in pain.

"I gave Miss Granger to you knowing that you wanted her and you LET HER GO!" Voldemort said now yelling, "CRUCIO"

Again Ron screamed in pain.

He stopped for a moment to call his elder death eaters and returned to torturing the red head.

Robustus watched as his brother made his way across the hall to check the apparition points for new arrivals; he had to disable the wards on the door.

Once Robustus saw his brother wave his wand and chant the necessary spell the door was safe to open and two Malfoys and one Snape came striding in purposefully and bowing in front of the dark lord and a little to the left of the screaming red head.

"My Lord" all three said.

"Severus, where is your pet?" Voldemort demanded to know.

Severus raised an eyebrow, "With you My Lord." He answered innocently closing his mind and pushing thoughts of Hermione entering the floo to sit for tea with the dark lord.

"She never returned?" Voldemort asked a little unsure of himself. Maybe he didn't give her to Weasely, Wait yes he did. Was it all a dream then, did she even ever make it to their date?

"My Lord?" Malfoy senior asked with mock concern, though the dark lord didn't need to know that.

Voldemort looked like he was struggling a bit, "She said no to me. NO ONE says NO to ME! I showed her what it meant if someone disobeyed me and then gave her to Weasely –she is not worthy of you Severus, but he let her go." He looked over at the recovering Weasely, "CRUCIO!"

"My Lord, to what did she say no? She was certainly smitten; she was having tea with you, yes? Maybe playing hard to get? Some witches do that and she was a Gryffindor." Draco said hoping to defuse the situation.

"I CAN'T REMEMBER!" he yelled gripping the sides of his head with his pale hands, "ROBUSTUS!" he called.

"Yes my lord." The man bowed.

The dark lord pointed his wand at the bowed wizard, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" the green light shot out from his wand and ended Robustus' life. His body slumped over in a heap and gasps were heard round the room.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Rodolpho yelled and started running trying to pull out his wand to kill the dark lord himself.

Voldemort reacted quickly and cast another killing curse effectively ending the Le'Strange family name in one evening.

Bella's silent tears coursed down her cheeks, but she didn't move. In fact no one did.

Draco, Lucius and Severus just looked on the two brothers with deep regret and sadness. More lives lost to a crazy man.

"My Lord, I will find her." Severus told the now silent murderer.

"Yes, Severus, you do that and if you don't find her your fate will meet a much worse end."

Severus nodded and walked out of the hall. The three couldn't do anything for the brothers now; their bodies would be burned and disposed of in short order.

They floo'd back to Malfoy Manor looking a little bit worse for wear and a lot shaken.

Hermione and Harry stood when the floo activated.

**Click. Whoosh**.

The three walked in and Draco just about ran into Harry's awaiting arms and together they walked into their room Harry's comforting arms encircling Draco's frame.

"What happened?" Sirius asked.

"He killed Robustus and Rodolpho and he was torturing Weasely when we arrived." Severus said quietly

"He didn't know you two were gone." Lucius said looking at the two witches.

"We have to perfect that potion." Hermione told the group.

"We have the ingredients you needed." Remus added hope filling his eyes.

Severus nodded.

"Black and I think we have finished the spell." Lucius told them staring into the fireplace.

Severus looked at Hermione, "We can finish the potion tonight. I will send word to the dark lord."

They all nodded; each pairing working tirelessly to either brew, cast spells or assist.

Finally at 3 am they tested the creation on a cat they found in Diagon alley.

"Is it working?" Draco asked

"How are we supposed to know? The damn thing is invisible!" Harry all but yelled.

"At Hermie's request we weaved a tracking charm into the spell." Lucius told the young wizard condescendingly and slightly offended that he thought they would complete the task without some measure of effectiveness.

Tonks waved her wand and said, "Where are you?"

They wanted to keep it simple and work with the casters' intent. When she uttered those words twinkles of light appeared tracing the cats' path. The only one who could see the twinkling was the caster of the spell.

It worked perfectly.

_(__**A/N: **__**Please Review**__ and thanks for reading.)_


	19. ANIMUS REVERTO

_Tangled Webs We Weave_

"So, now what?" Draco asked

"So now we wait." She answered

"Wait for what exactly?" Harry asked

EVERY person in the room rolled their eyes with the exception of Draco, who was also curious.

She sighed, "We wait until their summoned."

"Why are we waiting?" Draco asked

"Yeah, Snape already sent word that he found you and so can't we just go?" Harry added

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, "He wants the potion and he wants the unification ceremony to bring his soul together."

"How long does the ceremony take?" Draco asked

"About an hour." Lucius answered

"Why can't he drink it now?" Harry asked

"Because of its unique properties, Harry." Hermione replied exasperated

"Vanishing?" Draco asked

Severus groaned, "The fact that it removes all magical traces from the host."

"Again, so why can't he drink it now?" harry asked, Draco nodding in the back ground.

"Because it would still leave his horcruxes with magical ability and we wouldn't have rid the world of that vermin, only prolonged his existence." Tonks said finally speaking.

"Prolonged how long? Will I be in danger if he can't come back for another 20 years or 40 years?" Draco asked.

"What about our children. They will have to face him because we weren't successful." Remus said

"What children? Are you and Tonks expecting?"Harry asked

"Honestly, Harry – _potential_ children of ours. Are you and Draco so shortsighted that you really cannot just sit down and SHUT UP?" she was yelling by the end of that sentence.

Tonks was snickering. Remus and Sirius were smirking. Harry and Draco were glaring at her and Severus and Lucius were glaring back. Hermione was trying to control her impulse to hex them.

"I don't plan to have children." Draco said looking at Harry to judge his reaction.

Harry just shrugged, "I wouldn't mind having a niece or two."

Remus was next, "I would like to have one or two." Avoiding Tonks' smiling gaze.

"With bubble gum pink hair?" Sirius said smiling at the two, "OW!" he yelled after being smacked upside the head by Tonks.

"I'm enough to handle for any witch; I can't imagine adding actual children into the mix." Sirius said.

"Hear! Hear!" Remus said concurring with the animagus' remark about himself.

"I would love to have children, more than two." Tonks said wistfully, "But I don't want to be pregnant. Is that possible?" she asked her face scrunched up comically.

Remus and Hermione smiled at her.

After a few moments of silence passed it was getting awkward.

Everyone noticed that Hermione hadn't said one way or another and Severus and Lucius were not about to ask, so Draco and Harry being Draco and Harry asked, "What about you 'Mione? Do you want kids?"

Hermione looked up and swallowed, "yeah." Was all she said, and you had to strain to hear her, but hear her they did and both Severus and Lucius immediately relaxed. They were afraid that she wouldn't want kids after what happened.

"What about Ron?" Tonks asked.

"I'm pretty sure he wants kids." Harry said

"No, I mean when this goes down, what about Ron?" Tonks replied annoyed that she had to explain… again.

Hermione shrugged, "he will have a decision to make, fight with us or against us."

Harry sighed, "I know he'll make the right decision when the time comes." Though he wasn't quite sure about that.

"Will you forgive him?" Draco asked suddenly to both Harry, his lover, and Hermione, his best friend.

"Forgive…possibly. Forget… No." she said and then added, "We'll never be friends again."

Harry nodded in agreement.

Draco sighed in relief; he really did not want to lose either one of them to the red headed git.

"He still needs me, right, for the ceremony?" Hermione asked

Severus nodded watching her expressions change from worried, to resolute, to angry back to worried. He sympathized, she loved every person in this room; she was probably the only one who had a strong connection to everyone in this room.

They all liked and respected one another, sure, but Severus and Lucius certainly didn't feel love towards the-boy-who-lived-to-annoy-them; and Black was just irritating; Tonks and Lupin were alright and Draco was his Godson, but ….

Severus was also pretty sure that aside from Draco and Hermione, everyone else could go to hell as far as Lucius was concerned.

Hermione was pacing now, Sirius caught her by her shoulders on her fourth return trip, "I love you, kitten, but you are making me nervous, so do something else." He said with a tight smile.

"I'm hungry. Let's make a cake." Tonks suggested and stood up making her way to the kitchen, when she realized that she wasn't really sure where the kitchen was in Prince Manor, this was only her second time in this castle, she turned, "Umm where is the kitchen anyway?"

Draco stood, "Let's go, I'll help." He knew the way.

"You can't cook!" Harry said

"I can."

"You never cooked for me." Harry said pouting making everyone else either roll their eyes or shake their heads.

When the others had left, Hermione turned to her wizards, "Please whatever it takes, please, please, be safe." She said pleading with them.

They looked at her with a mixture of sadness and love, Severus was almost certain that one of them would not make it out alive, but just in case they did, he wanted her to know he loved her. Lucius spoke first.

"Hermie, when this is over and we are together again, would you consider us?" Lucius asked eyes penetrating hers.

"Us?" she squeaked.

"A Trinity, Hermione, magical binding and all." Severus clarified.

She looked from one to the other and couldn't believe that this was happening; she nodded because she couldn't speak at the moment.

They hissed in pain, it was time.

"Do I look ok?" she asked Lucius last minute and if he weren't in such pain he would have laughed; instead he nodded.

This time she wore a pale blue skirt and white silk shirt with ruffles and a darker, but still light blue witches robe over. Her hair was up and she looked like a lovely spring day. No sense in offending him before they got started with her wearing jeans and a t-shirt that said 'I'm Pretty Much the Coolest One Here', which is what she was wearing until Lucius…HER Lucius transfigured her something presentable. The man was a fashion genius, really.

Severus had modified the disapperation charms around Prince Manor so the four could disapperate from anywhere in the Manor and apperate from anywhere to the Manor.

POP!

The four walked in and bowed, "My Lord."

Voldemort looked up in surprise, "Miss Granger, You look lovely this evening."

She smiled and gave him a strange look, "thank you My Lord."

"Didn't I give you to Mr. Weasely?"

"Yes, my lord, but he wasn't …spirited enough for me and was easily taken over. I returned to Professor Snape as soon as I could."

"Well, I stand corrected Severus, she is worthy of you." He turned to the vision in blue, "weren't you fearful to return here, Miss Granger?"

She stepped forward and took his hands, no longer warm - confirming for Hermione that it was all fake and said, "I gave you my word that I would assist in the ceremony."

She stepped back and he started laughing, "Gryffindors! Got to love them; honorable to a fault!"

"Actually, that's Hufflepuff, Gryffindors are brave and courageous, but we don't need to be honorable, we can be brave and courageous for the bad guy too – case in point." She was being sarcastic and she knew it, but she wanted him to stop laughing.

He stopped laughing, but the mood didn't shift either, "Bella!"

"Yes my lord?" she asked, though she didn't kneel.

He just looked at her, "Are you forgetting something, Bella?"

"You want me to kill the mudblood?" pointing her wand at Hermione she asked without the honorific attached to the end of the sentence.

"No Bella, I want you to be respectful as is my due." He told the dark witch menacingly.

"Respectful? You don't even remember why you tortured the mudblood; you have split your soul eight times and you killed my family, both of my sisters, my husband and my brother in law! Do you even know why you killed my husband? RESPECTFUL!?? KISS MY…"

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort sent the killing curse to the crazed witch.

She let out a final sigh and started falling to the floor, Hermione didn't know what else to do except try to break her fall by running over and at least catching her shoulders and head before they cracked.

Yes the woman was a complete nutter, but she was still a person with feelings, so Hermione laid Bellatrix' head down on the floor and gently shut her eyes.

**

Bella opened one eye. She felt like she was floating. It was awful bright out, but she opened both eyes anyway. She was lying in the grass and she felt free. She tried to remember how she got here, but couldn't.

"Bella?" she recognized that voice

"Bella?" the voice called again.

"Cissy?"

Bella stood and there walking towards her was the most beautiful thing in the world, her sisters.

She smiled and ran to them. The three women embraced.

"Where are we?" she asked

Narcissa and Andromeda shared a look, but didn't speak.

Bella didn't see it, she was still looking around at the trees and sky and lake. It was all so pretty.

They were pulling her now, not hard, but enough for her to walk, "Where are we going?" she asked still feeling euphoric.

"We want to show you something, Bella." Andromeda said smiling.

The walked up a small hill and in the valley below were groups of children, ranging in ages and sizes.

Bella smiled a smile she hadn't known she possessed the strength for; she looked at the two men pushing the little girls on the swings. She recognized them…

They stopped pushing the little girls and stood to watch her, "Roddy." She sobbed.

"shhhh, don't cry, Bella." He was suddenly in front of her.

"You're…." she just couldn't say it.

"What are all these kids?" she asked her sister Andy.

"They need caring for, Bella. That's what we've been doing. Do you want to come?" Andy asked gently.

Before Bella could answer her sister Narcissa spoke, "If you agree, Bella, it will be forever." She said quietly.

Bella had tears in her eyes, her sisters didn't get it – they had each had children of their own. She looked down at the kids again and up at her husband and smiled, "I've always wanted children." She said pulling out of the circle of her sisters walking towards the children with a renewed sense of purpose.

Her sisters and husband smiled and followed her down the hill.

**

Hermione looked up at Voldemort who looked strangely saddened by his action, "Are you ready my lord?"

He nodded and Severus snapped his fingers to call the house elfs to take Bella's body and prepare it for burial. She would be buried in her family plot next to her husband.

Hermione, with instruction from Lucius and Severus, gathered the necessary items and prepared the hall for the ceremony.

The ceremony begins. The hall is dark with 54 white candles and 54 black candles surrounding the room. Each window is open, but the door is locked. In the middle of the room is a stone slab in which Voldemort lays upon wearing a white robe.

Nagini is coiled around the foot of the slab and Lucius and Severus are on either side of him wearing black robes.

Hermione is at his feet also wearing black robes. She holds a knife in one hand and her other hand is placed on the edge of the stone.

"It's time to call the pieces of your soul." Severus said

Voldemort nods and Severus speaks, "ANIMUS REVERTO!"

Lucius chants a spell that lights the path for the soul to follow.

The wind picks up, but only little and Severus nods to Hermione.

She lifts the knife and places it against her the skin of her wrist – she cuts and the blood drips into a pounded gold goblet. She must do this for each horcrux.

After her sacrifice Severus rubs Voldemorts forehead, hands, knees and feet with olive oil and rosemary to cleanse his existing soul.

Lucius continues to chant bringing the pieces of his soul together. A thin sheen of sweat has formed over his skin as his arms have been raised for the last 45 minutes and it takes deep concentration to wield this kind of dark magic.

Severus is also tired; his dark hair is sticking to his forehead.

Severus calls for the sixth horcrux and Lucius chants louder, this piece is inside Nagini - a living being. It will take both men to chant and bring out the soul from Nagini.

At the precise moment Severus nods to Hermione and she makes another cut and drips the blood into the pounded gold goblet.

Nagini hisses loudly and slithers away rapidly and the chants return to a whisper.

Hermione worries about this last piece. It is residing inside Harry. It will take deep concentration, mental acuity to focus, and stamina to coax the last part of Voldemorts soul out of another wizard.

Severus finishes with the olive oil and rosemary.

"Hermione you'll need to chant with us." Severus told her. She looked up to find both Lucius and Severus watching her; Lucius never stopped chanting.

Severus called for the last piece, "ANIMUS REVERTO!"

Hermione began chanting with Lucius and Severus.

**

Harry felt weird. Hermione had warned him it would be painful, but it wasn't yet.

Draco was there sitting with him as was Sirius, Remus and Tonks… though Draco was the only one holding his hand. Draco had returned home after the dark lord agreed he didn't need Draco this night.

Suddenly the pressure in his head increased and his vision went blurry. He felt like his head would implode any second.

He started screaming as the pressure increased.

**

Severus opened his eyes and nodded to Hermione.

She raised the knife one last time and dragged the knife across her arm (inside forearm). She let the blood drip into the pounded gold goblet for the last time.

He nodded and she continued to chant.

**

Harry passed out after 5 full minutes of screaming that left the others in the room shaken to say the least.

Suddenly they heard a hissing sound and a small pop. It was the soul.

Harry's eyes opened slowly, "Is it over?" he asked the gorgeous blonde hovering over him.

"For you it is." Sirius said and smiled.

"We're supposed to call in the cavalry now. Tonks, call Moody." Remus told her

"My pleasure." She said and went to send her patronus.

**

Voldemort inhaled sharply and hissed. His breathing became labored and his body trembled.

Hermione felt the cold breeze blow out the candles and heard a hissing sound pass around her goblet.

Voldemort opened his eyes and the chanting stopped.

"The cup, Miss Granger." Voldemort said.

She handed him the goblet filled with her blood and he drank heartily. After a moment he dropped the cup and it looked like he was choking, but they did nothing except watch in fascination as his hair grew back in and his eyes returned to brown, his nose grew, his lips turned to a healthy pink color, his skin, although pale, was relatively normal and his cheeks rosy. The man in front of them looked to be about 50 years old.

He sat up after a moment and looked at them all, "did it work?"

She cleared her throat, "yes my lord." And handed him a mirror.

He couldn't believe it. He smiled.

They ate dinner after that, it was surreal for Hermione, it was like they didn't just spend an hour and a half bringing the pieces of his soul back together inside a cup filled with her blood.

She looked at her arm; from her wrist to close to the bend were seven perfectly straight lines. They were deep and long. Lucius had told her before that she would always have the scars, because it was a magical knife and ceremony.

Severus had healed her as best he could. Still to look around the room it was like nothing happened tonight.

"So shall we give the potion a go then?" Voldemort happily requested.

"Yes my lord. Hermione." Severus said.

She folded her napkin and placed it on her plate. She stood reaching in her pocket she pulled out a single vial of green substance.

"My lord." She said handing it to him.

"You drink first, Miss Granger." Voldemort said.

This potion removed all magical traces from its host and it didn't need the accompanying charm to do it, but she drank anyway. If this was the sacrifice she needed to make, so be it.

Severus' heart was pounding. Lucius wanted to jump over the table and stop her, but they could do nothing if they wanted this to work.

Hermione looked at them both, "Are you ready to show him the charm, then?"

Lucius nodded sadly and watched her drink the potion.

They quickly taught Voldemort the charm and watched as Hermione disappeared.

"Now the tracking charm, Where is she?"

Suddenly, pink twinkling light began to surround her, but only Voldemort could see.

"She's over there!" he exclaimed.

Severus said the counter and she reappeared exactly where Voldemort said she was.

"I am very pleased indeed. Must we take the potion every time?"

"No, you only need to take the potion once, but say the charm each time." She answered.

He motioned for another vial, "do you have enough for at least ten of my death eaters?"

"Yes, if you would like us to get them you can celebrate at once." She said.

"Lucius and Severus should have the honor of taking it first." The dark said

"My lord, we took it already. We tested it." Severus said bowing slightly.

Voldemort understood and called in ten of his trusted deatheaters.

"Together they took the potion and slammed the vials back down in concert as if they were shots of firewhiskey.

Voldemort stood to speak to the excited group, but just then the door flung open and aurors poured out of the wood work.

Voldemort picked up his wand immediately and yelled an Avada, but nothing happened.

He looked at Hermione with fire in his eyes, "What did you do?!!"

"The potion, it took away your magic."

He was stunned, then slowly, "then it took away your magic too." He said pleased that he'd had her try it first.

She nodded, but then looked at him, "Good thing I know the reinstantiation spell, huh?" she said smugly.

"BUT … BUT …" he sputtered as he was being bound by aurors, "You need powerful wizards for that!"

"You mean like the ones you used for tonight ceremony?" She asked.

Lucius and Severus were terribly relieved that she created a counter to insert magic back into the soul. They had been at a loss emotionally for her when they thought she was sacrificing her magic for the greater good.

Remus walked up to the trio, "Are you ok?"

"Yes, How's Harry?"

Remus smirked, "being spoiled by Draco." He said flatly as if he didn't want the visual.

Severus snorted and shook his head.

"Malfoy Manor?" Severus asked

The other two just nodded and walked to the floo.

***

"So about that Trinity, Still interested?" she asked while the three walked up to the master bedroom for some much needed sleep.

_(__**A/N:**__ One more chapter I think. Thanks for reading and __**please review**__.)_


	20. My Precious

_Tangled Webs We Weave_

He has never been happier with himself than he was right at this moment.

Lucius Malfoy had called him and nine others to come to the front hall – at first he didn't think he would be called, but the stupid blonde had sought him out specifically and pointed to him beckoning he join the others. He sneered in a maliciously joyful type of way thinking that he was now one of the favored servants of their lord.

He wasn't sure if he trusted the smirk on Malfoy's face, but decided if the dark lord was calling, maybe he should go.

The tall red head stood and walked right passed the tall blonde, head held high, into the front hall.

He stopped abruptly when he saw what the ceremony had done to the dark lord. He looked so young… and happy.

He took a brief look around and watched Hermione smile and bat her eyelashes; _what a stupid bint!_ He scorned mentally.

He was handed a vial of green liquid, 'Drink up!'

_Right_, he thought, _I don't think so_.

Ron never uncapped the vial, instead just making the motion of drinking it down.

He figured he would wait and see what the side effects were and then drink it later in private, if they were good.

The empty vials had barely hit the table when all hell broke loose, Aurors stormed in yelling and casting Immobulus spells; Ron bolted.

He was now hiding, proudly, in an abandoned wheat field not far from Surrey Crossing. He could hear them searching, so he was extra quiet. He needed to get far enough away to apperate to the burrow.

Once there he would plan to bring an end to Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, Hermione Granger and anyone else who got in his way. He would also ask his mum to make some of her Shephards Pie.

***

The three walked up the stairs, two of which were barely keeping their eyes open they were so drained.

"I'm going to take a bath, first. Good night." She said and stood on her tip toes to give each of them a kiss.

"Night." They said and walked to their respective bedrooms.

They had spent the better part of the last two hours in the library with Tonks, Remus and Sirius as well as some aurors, making sure all the I's were dotted and T's crossed.

"When will we do the ceremony for you to get your magic back?" Sirius asked concerned.

"I never lost them. What I drank was the invisibility potion sans the magical eradication element. I'm fine, see?" She responded by calling a book to her wandlessly.

Everyone in the room was smiling.

Harry was still sleeping.

They had described what had happened to him during the collection of the soul. Draco just looked worn out; he went to bed shortly after.

Right before Hermione stepped into her freshly drawn bath she felt the wards and new Lucius was too tired to feel them in his sleep right now.

She sighed and watched the steam rise from the bath, "this will just have to wait." She said to herself and grabbed a robe to cover her naked body as she walked downstairs to open the door.

She did find it strange that someone would come to the door after everyone had floo'd in earlier, but maybe it was a junior auror who didn't know any better.

She got to the door and opened it with a tired smile, "What did we… ohmygosh!"

She didn't have time to scream, she left her wand upstairs and she couldn't accio it because there was a large hand clamped over her mouth and a mean, angry red head practically snarling at her.

"You'll be coming with me." He sneered and dragged her back to the aperition point on Malfoy's property.

They apperated with a pop.

***

Severus woke up with an odd feeling. Thinking it was the first time in a while he had several hours of uninterrupted sleep, he figured he just wasn't used to it.

He couldn't believe they made it out alive. He would need to speak with Lucius; after everything they went through; years of being alone, spying, living in danger he knew that both he and Lucius needed to seize the day and make Hermione their own… officially.

He hopped out of bed and went to the loo for his morning ablutions.

A half hour later, he walked downstairs fully dressed and smelling the enticing aromas of tea and coffee.

Both Malfoys and Potter were sitting at the table drinking their preferred.

"Where's Hermione?" Lucius asked him. He looked confused.

Severus looked back bringing his tea to the table and seating himself, "Sleeping probably." He was still feeling that 'odd' feeling.

Draco spoke next, "It's after 11, she never sleeps this long."

"Right. Potter, go wake her up." Severus said.

Harry stiffened and chose his next words carefully, "No."

Draco smirked.

"Why not?" Lucius asked, already knowing why.

"The same reason you two won't, she's scary in the morning." Harry paused then continued, "Look, I know she loves me – so the hex wouldn't be permanent, but she _loves_ you two, so she probably wouldn't even hex you." He stressed the second 'love' and gave them a shrug that said, 'you can't beat that logic.'

"She loves Severus, here, but not I, so Severus, go wake her up." Lucius said half joking and avoiding eye contact.

Severus and Draco could see the slight feeling of sadness in that 'joke'. They were stunned that the man who had been his friend for so long didn't think that Hermione loved him.

They were all looking at him like he was daft, "What?"

"She loves you." Harry said seriously.

The floo activated and Tonks, Remus and Sirius walked in pouring a cuppa and pulling up a chair.

"Where's Mimi?" Tonks asked

"Sleeping." The four wizards said in unison.

"Oh." Remus said.

"Sirius, why don't you go wake her up." Harry asked smiling.

"Ah… No. Last time I did that, I couldn't walk a straight line for a week. I kept falling into walls and running into doors. It was humiliating."

That statement left the table in chuckles; still smiling Draco offered a compromise, "We'll give her another 45 minutes and then go wake her up together – she can't hex us all." He said hoping that that was true.

***

"Ron please; Why are you doing this?" she asked trying her best not to sound positively terrified.

He looked down at her, she was shaking like a leaf, but her chin was jutted out in a stubborn manner in a show of bravado. He smirked. _Still a Gryffindor_, he thought.

"Just sit. I need to think." He said and plopped down on the couch.

They had arrived at a small cottage she was not familiar with – it was old and hadn't been kept up in the last few years, but it wasn't dilapidated; it was just… rusty. Overgrown bushes, neglected garden, one shutter hanging crooked on one hinge, the door squeaked open and everything inside had a thin layer of dust.

When they had walked inside the gate she could feel the magic wash over her, it was strong and restricting. She confirmed it when she tried to apperate and couldn't. Ron just laughed at her.

She attempted wandless magic inside and was again met with Rons scorn at her failure. So she sat and waited for him to 'think'. _This could take a while_, she thought.

After a while, she dozed off. They were summoned at 11pm, the ceremony took another two hours, dining lasted an hour before the aurors came, and then another two hours after they arrived home; so that put her getting kidnapped by her childhood friend at around 4 am. She was tired.

When she woke, Ron was staring at her. She was curled up in a large leather chair and her robe had fallen open a bit, revealing the curve of her breast. She quickly fixed the problem and looked outside. The sun was high and the house was warm.

She didn't want to speak to him, but he was making her nervous by staring at her, "What Ron?" she snapped.

That seemed to jar him out of his daydream, "Nothing." He looked down and clasped his hands together on his lap.

She swallowed and felt her conscience whispering to her.

_He just wants to belong. He's never felt important. You chose someone else when you_ _knew he wanted you._

_Ok-In my defense, he was rather violent, abusive and just plain rude._

_Not until you rejected him._

_NO EXCUSE! And before that he was dismissive and condescending, so there! Even the dark lord was more polite to me than Ron!_

_You're right. Don't give him an inch._

"Ron, I need to go wash up, May I use the loo?"

He nodded and stood, holding his hand for her take.

She looked at him and then his hand and back at him, _Did he mean to go with her?_ She thought a little worried she would have to use the loo in front of him.

He of course took her expression of horror to mean that she didn't want to touch him that he was somehow beneath her.

"Too good for me mudblood?" He bent down capturing her shoulders and lifted her up like she weighed nothing.

She yelped a little, without her magic she was no match in physical strength against Ron.

Her robe fell open, but she couldn't close it because her arms were pinned to their sides.

He stopped and just held her up; he couldn't tear his eyes away from the silky skin underneath the robe.

He pulled her closer; his face was now level to her chest; he breathed in her scent and nuzzled in between her breasts.

He was shaking a little. His breathing ragged.

"I've dreamed of touching you; seeing you. I want to feel your skin on mine. I want to taste you." He whispered, _rather seductively_, she thought, _if he hadn't almost raped her, beaten her, screamed mean things to her, turned to the dark lord betraying the Order of the Phoenix; caused her to miscarry (directly or indirectly – she wasn't sure) and kidnapped her, she might be tempted._

"Ron, I don't want this. Please stop." She said her tone holding both pleading and might.

"You will have me, Hermione, willing or not. Don't make me to do this the hard way." He scolded softly.

The deadly calm in his voice made her shiver – and not in a good way.

"I need to wash up, please." She placed her hand on his hip and gently squeezed.

Looking down at him she could see his facial expression soften a bit, he nodded and set her down.

"Through there." He said watching her.

She nodded and readjusted her robe. She couldn't stop the shaking.

***

"Ok, who's going in first?" Remus asked.

"I vote Lucius." Severus teased.

Lucius looked appalled, "What about you, you coward!" the senior Malfoy responded.

"Now children, let's do this fairly. Rock paper scissors." Harry suggested.

Draco laughed, "OK. We'll do it in teams and then compete with the 'winners'. The remaining two best out of three; Ready?"

Tonks, Remus and Sirius went first – Sirius 'won' with his paper covering two rocks.

Harry and Draco went second – Harry 'won' with his scissors cutting paper.

Lucius and Severus went last – Severus 'won' with rock crushing scissors.

Sirius, Harry and Severus played with Severus 'winning' all twice, making him the lucky wizard to wake the witch in question.

They all huddled in the hall, cowering away from the door as Severus knocked lightly and called her name, "Hermione?"

Nothing. He sighed and knocked again, "Hermione?" a little louder.

Nothing. He turned the knob and opened the door, "Hermione?"

He poked his head around the door then opened it all the way. Her bed was made and the room silent.

"Hermione?" he called as the others gathered at the door looking inside.

He walked to the bathroom and opened the door without knocking.

He looked from the sink to the toilet to the bath filled with water and scented salts. He could still smell them, but the bath was cold now.

He strode out, "she isn't here. She didn't sleep here; the bath is filled with water still."

"I'll check the wards." Lucius said walking purposefully to his office.

Tonks slapped her hand to her forehead, "I knew he was going to be a problem!" she said more to herself than to the others present.

"Who?" Sirius asked

"Ron. We didn't get him last night. He wasn't among the death eaters arrested."

Severus' gut clenched tightly, "He wouldn't be stupid enough to come the Malfoy Manor." He said.

Harry didn't look so sure, Ron could be very impulsive at times.

They all walked to the office to check on Lucius, "Well?"

"You are not going to believe this." The blonde said.

"Weasely?" Draco asked in response.

Lucius nodded.

"Who knows where he took her, the dark lord had many safe houses and no one death eater knew them all." Draco said.

Remus looked bright, "We have his magical signature!"

"How?" Severus asked.

Sirius smiled in memory, "He walked in on her sweating over some potion. Remus and I were recruited as guinea pigs, so we were sweating in the room with her. Ron walked in and knocked over a small table with measured ingredients. She was livid, but she looked at him dead in the eyes and said '_I'm gonna need your blood'_ and walked towards him with a knife." Sirius was laughing now as was Remus, but calmed enough to finish the story.

"Ron couldn't move he was so scared that she would stab him in the heart with it, but she just took his hand and sliced his palm. His hissed a little, but she was gentle and she healed him immediately. She sent him away with a scolding to be more careful." Remus finished.

"The lab at her house?" Tonks asked.

They nodded.

"Ricki!" Lucius bellowed.

POP!

"Yes Master Malfoy." The little elf looked around, he did not like coming to Malfoy Manor; the elves here hated him and Tavi. That's when he saw Mistress Tonks. His ears perked up and he bounced over to her, bowing, "Mistress Tonks, I's here." Turning his back on the tall blonde, who rolled his eyes at the dismissal.

"Ricki, Will you go into Missy Mimi's lab and get a vial of Ron Weasely's blood. I don't know how it is labeled, but you can sense, yes?"

The little elf nodded, but hesitated, "What's wrong Ricki?" Tonks asked gently.

"Missy Mimi, only lets Tavi in there. I's clumsy." He said plastering his ears against his head.

Tonks giggled, "Ok, Tavi!"

POP!

The little elf looked around and scowled at Severus and Lucius.

"Tavi, don't scowl." Tonks scolded.

The elf bowed to Tonks, but didn't speak.

"Go into Miss Hermione's lab and get Ron Weasely's blood." She directed. You had to be authoritative with Tavi or the elf wouldn't budge, needless to say that he stayed at Hermione's house most often. The grumpy thing adored her and she it.

Tonks was seeing a pattern with Hermione liking the dark and grumpy – as well as the authority figures. _Hmmmmm_ she thought, _Freud would go nuts_!

"Why's you wanting Weasely blood, mistress?"

Lucius stood at this looking angry, but Tonks just gave him a look, "It's how she raised him. You know this." She said to both Lucius and Draco. Tonks knew they believed a house elf should be seen but not heard and not only seen when called.

"He's taken Miss Hermione, we need his magical signa…" she didn't even get through her explanation when the elf disappeared. No one messed with Miss Hermione.

Everyone was a little surprised at his sudden departure but realized the elf loved Hermione…. As much as they did.

Tavi popped back in with a vial labeled 'Ron's blood.' Harry laughed, "Well her labeling system is clear at least. What next?"

"I's knows where she is." Tavi said.

"How?" Remus asked.

"House elves bond with their families. I can feel her."

Lucius did note that the elf said family instead of master. He shook his head, Hermione and her causes.

"Can you apperate us there?" Severus asked hopeful.

"Two of you." He said looking back at the dark angel and at the senior Viking.

***

She emerged from the washroom feeling a bit better. She had showered and washed her mouth out with water. She ran fingers through her hair in order to untangle it.

Wrapping her robe around her tighter, wishing she could utter a sticking charm, she walked out to the living area.

"Shall I make some tea then?" she asked.

He didn't speak. He just watched her.

"What time is it?" she asked keeping her distance from the predatory expression on his face.

"1pm" he said.

"Tea it is then!" she moved to the kitchen.

She was stopped by a large hand grabbing her arm and spinning her around, "I've waited long enough 'Mione."

He picked her up and that's when she started kicking, screaming, biting and hitting.

She bit him particularly hard on his shoulder blade and kicked him in the face at the same time causing him to throw her against the opposite wall.

She landed with a thud and the wind knocked out of her. She couldn't get up right away, her shoulder was burning. She thought of her wizards then, she loved both of them with everything she had.

She once thought she only fancied Lucius' beauty, but she knew now that she had fallen in the love with him just as much as she loved her dark angel. She wanted to see them again, so much she let out a sob when Ron pulled her up by her hair.

Still screaming and kicking, she tried to trip him, but he just kicked her and threw her down on the leather couch.

He pulled at her robe exposing her breasts and stomach.

Her shoulder was on fire now; he was pulling her kicking legs apart and unbuckling his belt at the same time.

If she hadn't been in panic mode, she would have thought that this type of multi-tasking was quite unRonald-like, but the act was lost on her in her current state of duress.

He grabbed her breast and squeezed hard. She screamed in pain and pushed at his chest.

He bit her lip making her bleed and licked her face like a dog.

She was getting tired, physically, and he wasn't letting up. She was crying and yelling and squirming, but to no avail, no one could hear her.

Just then the door burst open, splinters flying everywhere and two powerful wizards and one angry house elf barreled inside wands pointed.

Ron pulled up and Hermione scrambled away, pulling her robe.

Ron grabbed his wand, but he was too slow, Tavi was already next to him and when he looked down to kick the little elf away, it gave him the creepiest smile and with a pop, they were gone.

Severus and Lucius just looked at each other, "Well that was anticlimactic." Lucius said and looked around for his… their love.

She scrambled up and jumped into his arms. Lucius hugged her tight, her thrown weight not budging him in the least. Severus wrapped his arms around them both.

"I … I…l-l-love you b-b-both ssso much." She said in between sobs.

They squeezed her harder, neither man could speak.

"Can we go home?" she asked, "I missed my bath." She teased and they smiled at her.

***

"Where are we?" Ron asked with a tremor in his voice.

"You'll see, my precious." Tavi said (spoken like Gollum) hehehe

_(__**A/N:**__ thanks for reading and __**please review**__. Epilogue coming, then I'm all done!)_


	21. Epilogue

_Epilogue (long)_

The sun was shining and a cool, but subtle breeze blew across the people sitting in wait. Ginny Weasley gave the signal to the violinist and was awarded with a curt nod. Canon in D began to fill the air and the guests stood as one unit turning to watch the bride walk down the aisle.

She was beautiful; her hair was swept up in a classic chignon with curled tendrils surrounding her face. She was already crying – happy tears- which made every woman there begin to tear up as well.

She wore an ivory lace dress with cap sleeves and an empire waist, though it didn't do much to hide her enormous protruding stomach underneath; needless to say she was wearing flats and had a firm grip on her cousins' arm due to her clumsy nature.

She arrived at the altar and looked into her grooms loving face.

"You wanted a simple exchange, I understand, so I'll get right down to it. Do you, Nymphadora Tonks take Remus John Lupin as your wedded husband; to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, through furry little problems and full moons, through good times and the bad, to love and cherish as long as you both shall live?" the minister asked.

"I do." She said smiling. Remus smiled back.

She gasped and her face froze.

***

Hermione sat straighter and leaned forward to rub her back; it had started to ache earlier that morning, though she kept that to herself, Severus and Lucius tended to over-react where she was concerned especially now.

The entire time she was pregnant, she was shadowed by one or both of them. It was very frustrating for her. It was only after a severe temper tantrum that they let her have a little time on her own, though she still wasn't allowed to actually leave Malfoy Manor by herself.

On the same token, she felt loved and cared for, which made her love them more.

She was sitting between her two husbands' in chairs that were not comfortable for a woman who would be giving birth any second now. She was silently thanking the Gods that she had finished her Masters in Charms and only needed Severus' signature for completion of her apprenticeship. After that she would be a potions mistress.

She sighed with a smile and watched Tonks marry Remus.

Hermione and Tonks got pregnant, they presumed, on the same night. The night _after_ Voldemort was reduced to a squib and thrown in Azkaban for eternity; the night of, everyone was too tired to do anything but sleep.

No one had seen hide or hair of either Ron or Tavi since that day almost a year ago.

The months following had been spent locating Voldemorts safe houses, making amends to families victimized by his reign and instituting some much needed indoctrination classes at Hogwarts, which Lucius and Hermione were responsible for writing and publishing.

Hermione had completely revamped the Muggle studies class making it more comprehensive as well as relevant to the average adult wizard.

Lucius wrote the curriculum on Pureblood Tradition, the new classes had been included in this year's prospectus for 6th and 7th year students.

They had a small wedding having only a few people there: Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Harry and Draco, Minerva and Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick – she had to invite him; he adored her and took pride in the fact that she was mastering in charms - and the Weasleys – including Ginny. It was lovely.

They had had to do some research on Trinity bonding and ceremony; it required a special license and particular magic to complete. At the last minute they found an American wizard capable of such an exercise and who was willing to travel.

Hermione smiled in memory, the little American was simply delightful. He brought a smile to even Severus' normal stoicism. He was a high spirited man shorter than Hermione. He always had a smile on his face and gentleness about him that made you want to hug him.

The wedding went without a hitch. That was six months ago.

So she finished her education, helped structure two new classes at Hogwarts, got married and helped plan Tonks' wedding all while they were both pregnant.

It had been a busy year, but worth every moment.

***

Both men noticed her rubbing her back and the slight furrow of her eye brows every so often. Severus was timing them. She would tense or breathe deeply every seven minutes.

Lucius took over rubbing. He moved her hand and pressed his fingers on the small of her back. She sighed and sent him a grateful smile.

She didn't see the concerned exchange between Lucius and Severus, because all attention was diverted to Tonks when she froze up.

"What's wrong?" Remus whispered.

"My water broke." She squeaked out.

Remus looked at the minister and said, "I do."

The couple grasped hands and the minister made quick work of the bonding. In a matter of moments it was complete.

Remus swept Tonks up bridal style and apperated to St. Mungo's maternity ward.

"Well, alrighty then." Draco drawled looking over to Hermione with a smile, but it faded when he noticed how pale she was.

He looked sharply up at Severus and the dark man nodded, he knew.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Draco asked tentatively, she was moody these days and he didn't want to get hexed.

"I think…. I think… it's time." She was panting now and squeezing Lucius' hand so hard he had lost feeling in his fingers.

"Well let's go then." Severus said smoothly helping her to stand, but she wasn't budging.

"NO! this is Tonks' wedding, we can't just run out of here like bats out of hell, we must take it slow, be …" she couldn't find the right word.

"Sneaky?" Harry added with a smirk.

"yes." She said with a relieved sigh; not that he furnished the word, but that her contraction had ended.

She stood straight, pasted a smile on her face and walked back to the house.

She didn't make it, because a contraction started again and took her breath away sending her to her knees with the pain.

Severus and Lucius were held up by Dumbledore momentarily so weren't directly behind her. When they saw her distress, they ended to conversation and were at her side in a flash.

They apperated to St. Mungo's and was placed in a room right next to a screaming Tonks.

After two hours of labor, both Lucius and Severus taking turns rubbing her stomach and her back, murmuring sweet and encouraging words to her she was ready to push.

***

Heteropaternal Superfecundation: the fertilization of two or more ova from the same cycle by sperm from separate acts of sexual intercourse; in laymen's terms, twins with different fathers.

Three hours of pushing later, a sweaty and exhausted Hermione gave birth to twins 3 minutes apart.

She later would tease that her younger twin was so eager to meet the world she pushed her sister out the door.

Lucia (Loo-cee-ya) Malfoy and Savannah Snape entered the world screaming their introductions and making their fathers proud. Their mother had fallen asleep almost immediately upon seeing them and ensuring that they were healthy.

An hour before, Thea Lupin made her way into the world and was now nursing quietly while holding her daddy's large finger with her little fist.

Draco, Harry and Sirius were ecstatic at being uncles and couldn't wait to meet 'the girls' as they would be referred to from here on out.

_**Ron**_

Ron found himself lying on the hard cobblestone of Knockturn Alley. He had finally killed that stupid elf and escaped.

He wondered how long the elf kept him, he had no sense of time, but he had his wand and everything looked like it was supposed to.

He knew he was a little dirty and he was missing some teeth, but he felt fine, he just needed to go home for a bit, and then find Hermione and Harry. He would say that he was under the imperious and that he had been cursed. He would get back in their good graces and then kill them.

He stood and walked to Diagon alley. It changed a bit, lighter and more carefree. He sat down at a table near a café to watch the crowds.

He was shoo'd away by the owner calling him a vagabond. The man through two galleons at him and shouted for Ron to take a shower.

Ron took the money, never one to pass up an opportunity. He lifted his arm a bit and sniffed. He made a face of indifference, _he didn't smell so bad_. He thought.

He kept walking, but was getting angrier by the minute; people kept staring at him and grimacing.

_I'm Ron Weasley, one–third of the golden trio. Don't you recognize me?_ He thought over and over again, hatred rising.

By noon, he was on the verge of sending an unforgiveable. He wanted to hurt someone, get their attention and that is when he spotted them.

Three teenage girls and three younger boys; Ron thought they looked strange, all paired.

Two of them had platinum blonde hair-a girl and a boy, _Must be Malfoys_ Ron sneered to himself.

One of the girls and one of the boys had raven black hair and the remaining two had sandy hair, though the boy with sandy hair suddenly changed his hair to bright blue making the girls laugh.

_**Children**_

"I'm hungry, let's go find mum." He whined.

His sisters laughed, but his brother just nodded his head in agreement.

"Me too. Let's go. I don't wanna shop with you guys anymore, it's so boring, all you do is giggle and stare at boys." The sandy haired boy complained.

"Teddy, you're going to be bored with daddy too, you know where they are." Thea said with a gentle voice for her little brother.

"Flourish and Blotts." They all said in unison.

"At least we can eat." Hyperion remarked.

"Is that all you think about, food?" Savannah asked with a smile.

"Where's mum then, she's not in some book store." Teddy asked.

"I'm going to guess the ice cream shop. Aunt Dora loves her some ice cream, that's for sure." Lucia said.

"Lemon Meringue swirl." Thea added with her mother's favorite flavor.

In response, Teddy turned his hair bright yellow making them all laugh.

"I want to eat too, Lucia." The youngest boy said to his oldest sister, they were especially close; she always listened to him.

She looked down at her little brother and ran her fingers through is beautiful black hair, "Ok Toby, let's go." She said softly.

_**Ron… again**_

He was not in his right mind; he kept hearing that stupid elf talk to him. Telling him to take the girls… it had been so long since he felt the warmth of another. Months and months; not since Voldemort cast the desire spell and he watched Snape and Malfoy fuck his… Hermione.

He couldn't take the voice anymore; he grabbed his head for a moment. In that moment, his expression shifted to one of pain to an evil smile. His back straighter, his walk confident; he need only encircle the girls with his arms and apperate back to a safe house.

"OI!" he yelled and ran across the street to the little group.

***

They turned in unison in response to the yelling.

Lucia and Savannah kept their faces expressionless, but inside they were grimacing at the dirty and toothless homeless man now running towards them.

Before he was within ear shot, Thea spoke up, "I don't have a good feeling about him, we should go." She whispered.

"Hyperion, take the boys and get mum and dads. Hurry." Savannah said while pushing them along.

The girls were alone now and backing up slowly. Lucia looked around and noticed that people were watching, much to her relief.

The homeless guy reached them and he stank to high heaven, "I need you to come with me." he told the girls moving towards them.

"No." Savannah said a little panicked and pushed the man. After that everything happened so fast, Lucia grabbed hers and Thea's arm and started pulling; just as Thea looked up in time to see Remus, Lucius, Severus and Hermione burst out the door of the book store with the boys trailing behind.

"Daddy!" Thea yelled

Four sets of eyes watched in horror as all three girls were apperated via sidelong by a long since forgotten, dirty and mangled Ronald Weasley.

"NO!" Hermione yelled, but not in time.

***

They landed on a flat mountain top that the girls recognized immediately, but didn't say anything to that regard.

They all just watched as the homeless guy circled them casting grounding spells – simple and effective, keeping the girls rooted to their spots, they could sit, but that was it. Even their wands didn't work inside this circle.

No one said a word for at least an hour and when the homeless guy touched his stomach he looked at them, "Do you have anything to eat?"

The girls shook their heads. Lucia thought he looked like a little kid.

"What do you want with us?" Thea asked.

"I don't know." He replied confused. He hadn't heard the voice since they arrived. He was hungry now.

He just kept looking at them, thinking they looked very familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He was sitting across from them about five feet from them, "Do you attend Hogwarts?" he asked.

The girls nodded.

"Which house?"

Savannah spoke first, "We're in Ravenclaw and Thea is in Gryffindor." She pointed as she spoke so he would know who was who.

"I was in Gryffindor too." He said wistfully.

The girls raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"You are a Malfoy." He spat looking at the blonde, with long wavy hair and brown hazel eyes. He was mildly surprised to find that her eyes were not the signature grey color; they reminded him of someone.

"Lucia Malfoy." She said arrogantly.

"A Malfoy in Ravenclaw, I'm sure you're father was disappointed." He scoffed and then continued, "I wasn't aware that Malfoy had a sister. Are you a cousin then?" he asked.

He thought it was possible Draco had a younger sister; he didn't know much about them except that he hated them.

"Lucius Malfoy is my father, Draco is my brother." She said.

"Do you know the Weasleys?" he asked without malice.

The girls all looked at him like he was daft. It was Savannah who responded, "of course we know the Weasleys. We go every Sunday to Grandma Molly's and Grandpa Arthurs – it's a tradition." She spoke to him like he was ten.

"What do you mean Grandma Molly? Who are you?" he asked really confused.

"Savannah Snape, you've met my sister Lucia and this is Thea Lupin." She snapped getting annoyed at this homeless guys who was obviously either super confused or really stupid.

"Sister?"

"Yes twins… don't ask." Lucia said.

Ron turned back to Savannah. She had similar wavy hair, but it was jet black instead of platinum blonde. It was her eyes that caught his attention; they mirrored her sisters – a brown hazel that reflected warmth; again they reminded him of someone. That someone was a tickle of a memory in his brain. He ignored it for the time being.

Ron looked at the other girl now, "Lupin? As in Remus Lupin?"

"Yes, my father."

Ron was panicking now, Remus didn't have any children, neither did Snape; at least he didn't think so. He decided to ask more questions.

"Who goes, usually, to Sunday dinner?" he asked conversationally.

The girls all looked at each other deciding on whether to tell this man or not. Lucia shrugged, she knew once their mother found them, this man would be ash. She had complete confidence that their mum would find them.

Savannah heard her sisters thought and nodded her head in agreement.

Thea just made a face, she hated when they did that, so she flicked Lucia on the arm.

"Sorry." The blonde girl murmured rubbing her arm.

Thea spoke, "Well, Uncle Harry and Uncle Draco…" that's as far as she got before the grimy guy interrupted.

"Uncle Harry and Uncle Draco?" he asked completely shocked, "Are they… you know…"

"Together? Yes, married in fact for ten years." Savannah said.

"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy… poofters! Who knew?" Ron cackled.

The girls bristled at this, but didn't say anything, he was unstable and none of them wanted to provoke him.

He saw the girls' expressions and cleared his throat, "who else?" he asked no longer laughing.

They thought his sudden humility was strange, but continued anyway, "Let's see, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur and their three kids Victoire, Dominique and Louis – they attend Beauxbatons Academy.

Uncle Charlie comes once in a while – he never married.

Uncle George and Aunt Angelina and their two Fred and Roxanne; Uncle Fred died a few years ago by a rogue death eater.

Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey and their two girls Molly and Lucy.

Finally, Aunt Ginny and Uncle Viktor come once in a while but with coaching it's hard for them to schedule." Thea finished.

"Coaching?" he asked not registering her husband.

"Quidditch. She played pro for a while for the HolyHead Harpies, but was injured. She was offered the head coaching position for the Bulgarian National Quidditch League." Savannah told him

"She doesn't speak Bulgarian!" he cried.

"Uncle Viktor does and he's her special maneuvers coach." Lucia said as if he should know this already.

"Uncle Viktor? As in Viktor Krum? Ginny married Viktor Krum?" he asked not hiding his shock.

The girls nodded.

"How long ago?"

"Six years, I think. They don't have kids." Thea said.

"Anyone else? Weasleys?" he asked.

Savannah and Lucia looked at each other, "There is one more Weasley, but he hurt mum and nobody says his name. Our dads get really angry if someone mentions him. No one knows what happened to him, just that he hurt mum and disappeared with mums house elf." Savannah said

"Mum? Your mum?" That tickle of a memory came hurling towards him like an errant bludger, "Hermione…" he whispered.

"Yep, she's our mum and when she finds us, you're going to pay." Lucia said not really caring if he got angry, because both Savannah and Lucia could feel their mother close.

As if on cue eight POPS sounded as Ron stood suddenly alarmed, he barely registered what the dark haired witch said, "See, told ya."

_**The Search**_

They rushed back inside to the office, nine years ago Mr. Flourish wanted to retire, but didn't want to close the store. There were no living heirs so he would have to sell it.

Lucius found out and placed an offer on the table. Mr. Flourish accepted the offer and retired a happy and rich man.

For his wife's 30th birthday he gave her the cherished bookstore. Severus didn't speak to him for a week after that, but Lucius didn't care, he loved to buy her things that made her happy… and a bookstore made her happy, which in turn directly benefitted him because she then showed how appreciative she was in the most unique and pleasurable ways.

"I need to concentrate." She said, but was having a hard time not slipping into panic mode.

"Let's sit down for a moment." Severus told her in his deep silky voice. He knew his voice always calmed her down – just a note, same deep silky voice turned her on too, but first things first.

He took her hands, "The boys are safe, and we just need to find the girls. They are capable, smart and powerful witches, Mia. They will be ok until we find them." He said looking into her teary eyes.

"It was Ron Weasley." Lucius said and continued, "He looked like hell."

Remus nodded.

Tonks was downstairs with the boys.

During the Trinity ceremony her bond with both men allowed her a sense of them, inside her mind. She could feel when they were near and if they were safe. When she got pregnant, the bond from mother to child… or in her case children was much stronger. She was able to sense where they were and to a degree what they were feeling, as teen agers the girls were able to temper that bond a bit, having Slytherins as fathers, they inherited some devious nature and didn't need their mum trailing after them constantly.

Hermione could sense them if she concentrated, but she trusted her girls and didn't invade their privacy too often.

Hermione closed her eyes and reached out with her magic to their magic.

Lucius rubbing her back felt the pull of her magic and closed his eyes to the warm sensation that her magic gave him.

Severus, who still held her hands, felt the same.

Remus was always in awe of the strength of Hermione's magic and when she married two of the most powerful wizards it increased. Right now Hermione's hair was floating like it had static electricity and her skin was glowing.

Remus shook his head; it was quite a sight to behold.

Tonks walked in and stopped abruptly, "Whoa."

He chuckled at his wife.

Hermione spoke, "I found them." She said after a few moments and opened her eyes.

_**The Reckoning**_

"Hermione…" he whispered again, this time to the actual person.

"You're going to pay for this Ronald." She said quietly while Severus and Remus got the girls and pulled them to safety.

"Ron, why would you do this?" Harry asked suddenly.

Ron looked at his former best friend, "I didn't know." He said

Draco stepped forward to stand near Harry and Rons face twisted, "YOU!" Ron raised his wand to the blonde, "AVA…".

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry said quicker than his former best friend.

"DAMN IT HARRY!" Hermione yelled making everyone cringe.

They took an oath not to breathe another word about this to anyone and buried Rons body by the trees.

_**The Real Epilogue**_

She was resting her head on her forearms, on top of her desk. There were parchment and books scattered about and her breathing was steady.

She jerked awake when she felt warm hands circle her waist and lift her from the seat.

Lucius whispered a spell divesting them of their clothes, "Oh!" she said surprised.

Severus sat down with her on his lap and kissed her slowly.

"You're beautiful." Severus said softly.

Lucius, never one to be left out, cupped her breasts softly from behind her. She could feel his erection on her back and longed to taste him.

Severus could feel her warmth and wanted to sink inside her and remain there for days.

Severus looked at Lucius and nodded.

Lucius picked her up, turned her around and let her wrap her legs around him. He kissed her passionately, letting his tongue be sucked gently by his wife. She knew it made him crazy with want when she did that.

He walked over to the desk, scattering the items to the floor, he laid her on the desk and knelt down.

She was breathless as he placed her feet on his shoulders and brought his lips so near to hers, she could feel the warm puffs of air caress her inner thighs and nether region.

"Please Lucius…"

He didn't make her wait, he licked, sucked, nipped and circled making her cry out in pleasure. When she floated back to earth, she opened her eyes to Severus standing between her legs.

He held her ankles in his hands, spreading her legs into a V and entered her slowly. Stretching her making her moan.

She felt Lucius' hands tangled in her hair and opened her eyes to see his long hard member just above her lips.

She licked her lips in anticipation and pulled his cock into her mouth.

He hissed and folded over her slightly, so that his hands were on the desk and she was able to accept him totally into her mouth. He thrust carefully, so as not to choke her.

Severus was thrusting and spreading her legs wider so he could see her parted for him.

She was getting tighter; she was going to cum soon.

Lucius was panting and groaned her name as he spurt his essence into her mouth. She swallowed it all happily.

Severus sped up, thrusting into her harder as she moaned for him to go faster.

Lucius placed his finger on her clit and rubbed it gently until she screamed out falling apart in front of both men.

They way her inner walls milked Severus' cock as she came quickly brought him over the edge as he came with a roar inside of her.

"Bed" Severus said and apperated them upstairs.

Presently they were tangled up together after round two, "Why have you been so tired lately? Every time we walk into the study, you're asleep." Lucius asked.

"I caught you the other day asleep in the shower." Severus asked now concerned.

She sighed, "I guess I can't keep it a secret any longer."

Lucius sat up expecting the worst and Severus stiffened, "what is it?" the latter asked thickly, "I'm pregnant… again; with twins…again; one is yours, and one is yours… again"

Lucius smiled broadly and kissed her, Severus also smiled, but decided to show her how pleased he was by taking one of her nipples and suckling.

She moaned at the feeling.

Severus sat her atop him and Lucius positioned himself behind her and together they pushed into her, filling her completely.

She gasped and panted as they set the pace. She wouldn't last long, she never did when they did this to her.

She loved it. She leaned back into Lucius and placed her hands on his knees.

He had her shoulders and was stroking softly up and down her collar bone, while Severus cupped her breasts and pinched lightly.

"OHHHH!" she cried.

_**Again**_

"They're at it again." Hyperion huffed looking up at the ceiling.

His older sisters giggled and Toby just shook his head, he didn't understand why his mum was yelling.

Lucia looked at her four year old brother, Toby, "You'll understand one day." She said and he smiled at her.

_**The end – I hope you enjoyed it.**_


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